Ukraine has launched a massive attack on Crimea, causing a huge explosion and fire at a military base – as it aims to take down Russian defence systems and free up a corridor to the Kerch Strait Bridge.
The peninsula has come under intense bombardment by Ukraine‘s army in recent weeks and months. Air defence systems, as well as military bases, have been repeatedly targeted by drones and missile strikes.
In one daring raid, Ukraine destroyed up to seven Russian naval boats using water borne drones. The latest attack centred on a military depot located in the village of Flotskoye, in Balaklava.
Ukraine‘s army reportedly used British-made Storm Shadow missiles to carry out the deadly strike.
Images of the attack show a huge mushroom cloud of thick black smoke rising towards the sky. The explosion can be heard from miles away.
Sevastopol’s governor tried to claim that Russian air defence systems had shot down all five missiles.
Mikhail Razvozhayev said that falling debris had caused minor fires to buildings and grass, saying there had been no injuries.
The Storm Shadow cruise missile has a range of over 250km (155 miles), according to the manufacturer.
They are normally fired from Ukrainian Su-24 Fencer fighter jets, and are armed with warheads containing 450kg of explosives.
Once launched, the Storm Shadow drops to low altitude to avoid detection by enemy radar, before latching onto its target with an infrared seeker.
Ukrainian partisans reported that Russia‘s army deployed a Tor M2KM air defence system over a public beach in Sevastopol.
The ATESH group posted photos of the anti-aircraft missile to its social media channels.
It noted Ukraine‘s army was systematically removing radar stations and air defence systems, in a bid to free up a “corridor” to the Crimean bridge.
Members of the wrote: “The countdown to the life of the illegal structure has begun.”
