All about the iconic 'Harry Potter castle' in Ukraine that fell victim to Russian missile attack

In Ukraine's Odesa, a picturesque estate nicknamed the 'Harry Potter Castle' has been incinerated by a Russian missile attack that also claimed the lives of four people and a dog.

The missile attack on the Southern Ukrainian city also injured 28 others, including a 12-year-old boy, two other children and a pregnant woman, confirmed Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper.

According to Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, the attack was carried out using an Iskander-M ballistic missile equipped with a cluster warhead.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Turrets of the architectural landmark were still burning at nightfall, and emergency services graded the blaze severe. Ukrainian authorities have labelled this strike a "war crime," reported Euro News.

Denouncing the attack in a video on Telegram, Gennadiy Trukhanov, the mayor of Odesa, said: "Monsters. Beasts. Savages. Scum. I don't know what else to say."

"People are going for a walk by the sea, and they are shooting and killing," he added.

Here's all you need to know about Ukraine's 'Harry Potter castle':

What is the Harry Potter castle in Ukraine?

Popularly dubbed by locals as "The House of Harry Potter", the picturesque Gothic-style building is actually a mansion said to belong to Ukrainian politician Serhiy Kivalov.

The Kivalov mansion is a mock-châteaux-styled building located beside a harbour area near the Odesa port. As per the UNIAN information agency report from 2015, it had within its shorefront grounds sculpted gardens, a tennis court and a private beach.

As per the Telegraph, the building is officially reported as former MP Kivalov's residence and also doubles as a private law academy run by him.

Public broadcaster Suspilne in a report said that the academy's president Serhiy Kivalov, a prominent former member of parliament, was among the people injured in the attack.

(With inputs from agencies)