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A Russian-installed governor in Crimea has said that the Russian navy repelled a drone attack in the bay of Sevastopol early Saturday. The region in Moscow-annexed Crimea houses Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet. Sevastopol is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea.
“Today, starting at 04:30 am for several hours, various air defence systems in Sevastopol repelled drone attacks,” Russian-installed Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said on Telegram. “All UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) have been shot down.”
A TASS correspondent also reported hearing a powerful blast early morning. Movement of ferries and boats in the bay has been temporarily blocked.
Razvozhayev had said earlier this week that a drone had attacked a thermal power station near Sevastopol. The Russian fleet stationed in the port had also reportedly been attacked by a drone in July.
Serhiy Hayday, head of the Luhansk regional military administration, said in a post on Saturday morning that Ukraine had conducted airstrikes on Russian positions and air defence systems.
“Missile and artillery units struck enemy positions where batteries of self-propelled artillery systems and other important military targets were located,” Hayday said.
Ukrainian forces have been pressing a counter-offensive to retake regions in the country’s Russian-occupied south.
Russia annexed the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. Its forces attacked Ukraine from several directions in February this year, including from Crimea.
(With inputs from agencies)
