Ukraine may have dealt another blow to Vladimir Putin’s army as it reportedly struck part of the Russian air defence system located in Crimea.
The Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communications said in a statement shared on social media: “The armed forces successfully hit a strategic object of the air defence system on the western coast of occupied Crimea.”
Russian Telegram channel Astra also reported on a successful attack in Crimea, claiming a Ukrainian missile strike hit a Russian base near the village of Olenivka, home to some 4,500 people.
The post alleged that 17 soldiers were left injured and five military vehicles reported damages following the missile raid.
The Telegram channel of Rybar, an influential Russian blogger believed to be close to Russia’s army – added further details regarding the attack, alleging Ukraine had launched two US-supplied ATACMS missiles that fell near the Donetsk Oblast village mentioned also by Astra.
Rybar said it was not known from where Ukraine had launched its attack, which reportedly happened at around 3am local time on Monday.
Speaking about the damage reported following the strike, the mil-blogger’s post also alleged: “It was not possible to shoot down the missiles, but thanks to measures taken in advance, no serious damage was caused.”
Shortly after the attack, Rybar went on to claim, Black Sea Fleet sailors found near Sevastopol three Ukrainian Armed Forces unmanned drones.
While two of these drones were destroyed, the blogger alleged, one “turned around and left at full speed”.
A renewed flurry of attacks may have happened once again a few hours later, Rybar wrote, as reports of “several” British Storm Shadow missiles flying over the peninsula emerged around 6am local time.
Another rocket was recorded falling near the tiny Crimean village of Natashino.
In a separate post, Rybar noted in recent days Crimea appeared to have become once again the target of Ukrainian missiles and drones.
In the summer, the Ukrainian peninsula illegally annexed by Russia was subjected to a series of successful strikes – including one that damaged the only bridge linking Crimea to mainland Russia.
In late September, after a series of missile launches that hit several targets including an air defence system and two naval vessels, a Ukrainian missile strike hit the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet in Sevastopol.
