UPDATE: Ukrainian Missiles Struck Secret Russian Command Post in Crimea, SBU Claims
Kyiv confirmed that Ukrainian missiles were behind explosions on Wednesday near a Russian airfield in occupied Crimea.
In a comment to Kyiv Post, spokesperson of the Main Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR), Andriy Yusov, said: “Missile strikes are being launched on the military facilities of the invaders in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian Crimea.”
“The planned work of the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine continues.”
Ukraine’s National Resistance Center (NRC) said that according to "unverified information," the “main command post of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation” had been hit.
Later on Wednesday afternoon, confirmed the target and claimed a "successful attack."
Local Telegram channels and videos posted to social media showed a large plume of smoke rising from an area reported to be the Belbek airfield, near Sevastopol.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, earlier claimed Russia's air defenses had "repelled a missile attack on Sevastopol, adding: "Information on possible damage from falling parts of downed missiles and casualties is being verified."
He previously said air defense systems had downed several drones and that debris had fallen on Verkhnosadove and Kacha on the outskirts of Sevastopol without causing any casualties.
⚡️Russian occupation "authorities" have claimed that drones attacked #Crimea.
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) September 20, 2023
The so-called "governor" of #Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhaev, stated that air defense forces allegedly shot down multiple drones.
Local Telegram channels report explosions near the Belbek military… pic.twitter.com/g4NU22r2VB
If confirmed, it would be the second large missile strike against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in two weeks.
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A series of explosions rocked the Sevastopol Shipyard in Russian-occupied Crimea in the early hours of Sept. 13, severely damaging the “Rostov-on-Don” submarine and the “Minsk” Large Landing Ship.
According to Russia’s defense ministry, the large attack involved ten cruise missiles and “three unmanned boats.”
On the morning of the attack in further exclusive comments to Kyiv Post, a source in HUR confirmed Kyiv had carried out the attack, describing it as a “very good result for Ukraine.”
Elsewhere on Wednesday, Kyiv also announced two Russian planes and a helicopter have been “significantly damaged” in an attack carried out by “unknown saboteurs” on one of the Kremlin’s main military airfields, 30 km northeast of Moscow.
In a post on Telegram, the Directorate of Military Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR) said the operation was carried out on Monday at the Chkalovsky Air Base and “caused quite a bit of hysteria in the higher military corridors.”
The HUR added: “Unknown saboteurs… planted explosives and detonated AN-148 and IL-20 aircraft (both belong to the 354th special purpose aviation regiment) at the airfield, which is carefully guarded, as well as the MI-28N [Havoc] helicopter, which was actively involved in shooting down attack drones over Moscow region.”
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Comments (2)
There once was a Russian named Fred, who got in politics over his head. He wanted Ukraine, to be Russia again, now the Russian named Fred has gone dead!!
Some additional perspective would be nice, such as number of casualties, and the rank and importance of them, and analysis on what this means for each side's operations. From Ukraine's POV, was this attack just another in a steady tempo of what may later be viewed as shaping exercises for something imminent?