Explosion at Russia’s military airbase in annexed Crimea
A senior Ukrainian official has suggested that a series of blasts at a Russian airport in Crimea may have been the work of partisan saboteurs, as Kyiv denied any responsibility for the attack in Russian-held territory, including At least one person was killed and eight were injured. ,
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s adviser Mykhailo Podolik also suggested Russian incompetence as a possible cause of the blasts.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that “an explosion in several aviation ammunition stores” caused an explosion at Saki airport on the west coast of the peninsula, which Russia captured from Ukraine in 2014 and used in February because He started attacking the rest. of the country. It said there was no attack and no aviation equipment was damaged.
Also Read:- Zelensky condemns Russian terror after nuclear plant damage: Report 08Aug 2022
Reuters news agency, citing witnesses, said they had heard at least 12 explosions from the base near Novofedorivka at 3:20 pm (12:20 GMT) local time.
Unverified videos posted on social networks showed sunbathers fleeing a nearby beach as huge clouds of smoke from the explosions rose over the horizon.
Crimea’s health department said one civilian was killed and eight others were injured. Officials said the area within a five-kilometre (three-mile) radius has been sealed.
Kyiv denies responsibility
Asked by the Dozhd online television channel whether Kyiv was responsible for the attacks, Podolik replied: “Not at all. What do we have to do with it?”
He continued: “Those who are living in occupancy understand that business is coming to an end.”
Smoke rises after explosions sound from the direction of a Russian military airport near Novofedorivka, Crimea
Smoke rises after the sound of explosions from the direction of a Russian military air base near Novofedorivka, Crimea, August 9, 2022 [Reuters]
Zelensky did not directly mention the explosions in his daily video address on Tuesday, but said it was true that people were focusing on Crimea.
“We will never leave it …
If the base was, in fact, hit by Ukrainians, it would mark the first known major attack on a Russian military site on the Crimean peninsula and a significant escalation of the conflict.
Also Read:- Russian forces begin assault on two cities in eastern Ukraine: Report 07Aug 2022
The headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in the Crimean port of Sevastopol was struck last month by a small-scale explosion carried out by a makeshift drone that was blamed on Ukrainian sabotage.
Authorities in Moscow have long warned Ukraine that any attack on Crimea would result in massive retaliation, including attacks on “decision-making centers” in Kyiv.
The Saki base has been used by Russian warplanes to attack areas south of Ukraine at short notice. Crimea borders the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, which is now occupied by Moscow.
Near power plant
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials reported that at least three Ukrainian civilians were killed and 23 wounded by Russian shelling in 24 hours, including an attack off the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, also far from the Saki base. Not there.
Dnipropetrovsk governor Valentin Reznichenko said the Russians fired more than 120 rockets from the plant across the Dnieper River, into the city of Nikopol. He said several apartment buildings and industrial sites were damaged.
Also Read:- US prepares new Ukraine weapons package worth $1 billion: Report 06Aug 2022
Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of shelling the power station, raising fears of devastation internationally.
Alexander Starukh, the governor of the region where the plant is located, said on Tuesday that radiation levels were normal. But he warned that an accident could spread radiation with the air, potentially carrying it to Moscow and other Russian cities.
A Russian-established official in the partially occupied Zaporizhzhya region said an air defense system at the plant would be strengthened after last week’s shelling.
Evgeny Balitsky, the head of the Kremlin-backed administration, told Russian state TV that power lines and other damaged parts of the plant had been restored.
In recent weeks Ukrainians have been counterattacking in Russian-held areas of southern Ukraine, while trying to block Kremlin forces in the industrial Donbass region in the east.
#explosion at russia’s military airbase #explosion at russia’s military airbase #explosion at russia’s military airbase
Explosion at Russia’s military airbase in annexed Crimea
Also Read:- Ukraine’s nuclear plant is out of control: UN nuclear chief: Report 05Aug 2022
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by News East India staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
