Ukraine was behind three explosions that rocked Russian military facilities in the annexed province of Crimea this past week, including an explosion at a Russian air base on the peninsula’s west coast that wrecked several airplanes, according to a Ukrainian government report circulated internally and shared with CNN by a Ukrainian official.
The official requested anonymity because they were not authorized to share the information with the media.
The report describes the Saki air base, which was rocked by explosions last Tuesday, as a hard but one time loss for Russian military infrastructure in the peninsula, with subsequent attacks as proof of Ukraine’s systematic military capability in targeting Crimea.
The Aug. 9 incident at Saki air base, which destroyed at least seven military aircraft, severely damaged the facility and killed at least one person.
Russia claimed it was a result of an accident and Ukrainian officials have so far declined to confirm on the record that they were responsible. What caused the explosions remains unclear.
In a speech following the incident, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the war “began with Crimea and must end with Crimea — its liberation.”
Another set of explosions were reported in Crimea this week, on Aug. 16, this time at an ammunition depot in Maiske and at an airfield in Gvardeyskoe.
Russian officials said the incident in Maiske had been the result of sabotage, but they did not specify the kind of sabotage, or whom they believed was responsible.
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