Kyiv: The latest in a string of attacks on the annexed peninsula as Russia braces for an anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive, two of Ukraine's drones struck an oil depot in Crimea, according to a Russian-appointed official there on Saturday.
The governor of the Crimean port city of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, who was appointed by Moscow, shared images and videos of the fire on his Telegram channel. According to Razvozhayev, the fire at the city's harbour received the highest rating for how difficult it will be to put out. He did, however, say that the open fire had been put out.
The oil depot, according to Razvozhayev, was attacked by "two enemy drones," and four oil tanks were destroyed. According to Sergei Aksyonov, the governor of Crimea who was appointed by Moscow, a third drone was shot down over the peninsula, and a second was deactivated using radio-electronic technology.
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The majority of the world viewed Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea as illegal. In a recent interview, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that his nation would aim to retake the peninsula during the impending counteroffensive.
A day prior, Russia attacked Ukraine with over 20 cruise missiles and two drones, killing at least 23 people. Two missiles struck an apartment block in the Ukrainian city of Uman, killing nearly all of the victims.
Ihor Klymenko, the interior minister for Ukraine, said on Saturday that five children were among the dead and that 22 out of 23 bodies have been identified. According to Klymenko, one woman is still missing.
Overnight, Russian forces continued to launch drones at Ukraine. Two self-exploding Shahed drones made in Iran were intercepted and a reconnaissance drone was shot down on Saturday morning, according to Ukraine's Air Force Command.
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The oil depot fire, according to Razvozhayev, did not result in any casualties and will not affect Sevastopol's ability to get fuel. Drone attacks against the city have been frequent, especially in recent weeks.
The Russian military reportedly destroyed a Ukrainian sea drone that tried to attack the harbour earlier this week, and another one blew up, shattering windows in several apartment buildings but causing no other harm, according to Razvozhayev.
Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for the Ukrainian military intelligence, claimed on Saturday that the fire at the oil depot was "God's punishment" for "the murdered civilians in Uman, including five children."
He claimed that more than ten tanks carrying fuel for the Russian Black Sea Fleet were destroyed in Sevastopol, but he refrained from blaming Ukraine for a drone attack. It was impossible to immediately reconcile the discrepancy between the number of tanks Yusov and Razvozhayev provided.
After earlier attacks on Crimea, Kiev also refused to directly take responsibility while reiterating that it had the right to attack any target in retaliation for Russian aggression.
The city of Nova Kakhovka was shelled by Ukrainian forces, according to the authorities set up by Moscow in the Russian-occupied region of the Kherson province in southern Ukraine. According to the authorities, "severe artillery fire" cut off the city's electricity.
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On Saturday, there was also criticism directed at the region that is under Ukrainian control. According to the Kherson prosecutor's office, Russian shelling near the village of Bilozerka resulted in the death of one person and the injury of another.