Russia-Ukraine war: Odesa’s ‘Harry Potter castle’ hit in Russian missile attack that killed five – as it happened

Odesa’s ‘Harry Potter castle’ struck in Russian missile attack that claimed five lives

Good morning and welcome to our Ukraine blog.

A Russian missile attack on a well-known seafront park in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa, dubbed as the ‘Harry Potter castle’, resulted in the death of at least five individuals and left 32 injured, according to local officials. The previous count of casualties had been recorded as four.

Reportedly, the targeted building served as the residence of former MP Serhiy Kivalov, who was among those wounded in the attack.

Oleh Kiper, the regional governor, revealed that in addition to the fatalities, one person suffered a stroke attributed to the missile strike and subsequently passed away.

Kiper further stated that eight of the injured individuals were in critical condition, including a four-year-old child. Among the wounded were also a child and a pregnant woman.

He added, “Our doctors are doing their utmost.”

Ukrainian firefighters work at the site of a burning building damaged as a result of a missile attack, in Odesa. Photograph: Oleksandr Gimanovoleksandr Gimanov/AFP/Getty Images

Here are some of the other major developments in the ongoing conflict:

• Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, during his visit to Kyiv and meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, stated that Nato member countries have failed to provide Ukraine with the promised support on time, which has inadvertently benefited Russia on the frontline. Stoltenberg emphasized the detrimental consequences resulting from the significant delays in support, including the inability of Ukrainian forces to effectively resist Russian offensives. Ukrainian officials have expressed concerns that Russia is amassing forces for a major offensive in the coming summer months. Stoltenberg highlighted the lack of ammunition, air defense capabilities, and deep strike capabilities as major areas of concern, allowing Russia to make advances. Zelenskiy acknowledged the slow arrival of new supplies from the West and urged for their expedited delivery.

• The head of the southern Kherson region reported that one person was killed in the past 24 hours due to Russian shelling.

• UN sanctions monitors, in a report seen by Reuters, revealed that debris found in Kharkiv confirmed the impact of a North Korean Hwasong-11 ballistic missile on January 2nd. The report suggests that the missile was likely supplied to Russia illegally. This finding aligns with the accusation made by Ukraine’s allies, accusing North Korea of providing weapons to Russia in violation of an arms embargo, specifically for use against Ukraine. The United States has accused Russia of launching ballistic missiles supplied by North Korea against Ukraine on multiple occasions.

• In unrelated news to the conflict, Polish farmers have ceased their two-month-long protest, lifting blockades at border crossings with Ukraine. The protest had been against farm imports and alleged unfair competition.

• The Duchess of Edinburgh, Sophie, made an unexpected trip to Ukraine, becoming the first British royal since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 to visit the country. Buckingham Palace announced that Sophie, alongside Prince Edward, met with President Zelenskiy and First Lady Olena Zelenska in Kyiv. The purpose of the visit, which was not publicly disclosed in terms of timing and details, was to showcase solidarity with those affected by the war and to continue Sophie’s advocacy work for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.

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