Russia’s Navy headquarters in occupied Crimea suffered a direct hit from a Ukrainian drone Saturday, resulting in a massive explosion — and mass confusion over the circumstances of the attack.
“Unfortunately, [the drone] was not shot down, although they worked on the bay with small arms. [It] went low. There were no victims,” Russia’s Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev said in a Telegram message shortly after the attack. “The tenacity of these Ukro-Reich morons is amazing. Everyone, if possible, needs to be home in the next hour.”
Later, Russian authorities claimed their forces had successfully downed multiple Ukrainian drones, including the one that slammed into the home of Russia’s Black Sea fleet.
“Clarification: the drone was hit…right above the fleet headquarters. It fell on the roof and caught fire,” Razvozhaev wrote. “The attack failed. Well done boys.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to celebrate the incursion in his nightly address – and hinted at a coming offensive to retake control of the peninsula that was forcibly annexed by Russia in 2014.
“The Crimean platform is ahead,” Zelensky promised. “One can literally feel in the air of Crimea that the occupation there is temporary, and Ukraine is returning.”
Video of the drone attack circulating online showed a plume of gray smoke rising over a blue sky just north of Sevastopol, the peninsula’s largest city. Other video contains audio of furious Russian gunfire trying to shoot down the drone. --->READ MORE HERE
A senior Biden administration official told Politico this week that the US supports Ukraine striking Crimea, which Russia has controlled since 2014 but neither Washington nor Kyiv recognize as Russian territory.
The official said the US considers strikes on Ukrainian soil "self-defense," which applies to Crimea in Washington’s eyes. "We don’t select targets, of course, and everything we’ve provided is for self-defense purposes. Any target they choose to pursue on sovereign Ukrainian soil is by definition self-defense," the official said.
The comments came after a series of explosions at Russian military facilities in Crimea, including a major one at the Saki air base that reportedly destroyed nine Russian warplanes. Officially, Kyiv hasn’t taken credit for the incidents, but Ukrainian officials have strongly hinted at Ukraine’s involvement.
While the recent incidents appear to be acts of sabotage, Ukrainian officials have said they are preparing to use US-provided weapons, such as HIMARS rocket systems, to attack Crimea. Washington doesn’t want Ukraine using US weapons on Russian territory, but Crimea appears to be fair game since the US considers it Ukraine. --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to +++++relevant+++++ and related stories:
+++++Russia-Ukraine News LATEST UPDATES: (REUTERS) (AP) (NY POST) and (WSJ)+++++
+++++WSJ: Drone Hits Headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in Crimea+++++
+++++We will counter every attack carried out by Russian occupiers+++++
Recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian military and transportation infrastructure in Crimea and Kherson Oblast are likely reducing Russian confidence in the security of Russian rear areas
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