————————————————————————————————

————————————————————————————————

Russian airbase on western coast of Crimea damaged in explosions

August 9th 2022

A Russian airbase deep behind the frontline in Crimea has been damaged by several large explosions, killing at least one person, although it was not immediately clear whether it had been targeted by a long-range Ukrainian missile strike. Multiple social media videos showed explosions and clouds emerging from the Saky military base in Novofedorivka on the western coast of Crimea on Tuesday afternoon, prompting questions about how a location more than 100 miles (160km) from the frontline could have been attacked. Later a senior Ukrainian official appeared to claim responsibility, without giving details. Russia’s defence ministry told the RIA Novosti news agency that the explosions took place at about 3.20pm local time, and that “several aviation munitions detonated” in a storage area. It said it was trying to discern the cause of the incident. Russian tourists holidaying on beaches nearby could be seen leaving in fear. It is one of few occasions that the peninsula, occupied by Russia since 2014, has been directly affected by the latest fighting. Local people told one Russian news site that explosions went on for an hour.

Sergey Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed head of occupied Crimea, said one person had died. Earlier, he had filmed a video statement near the site, with smoke rising in the distance, saying that ambulance crews and medics were on the scene. In his nightly address, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, did not discuss who was behind the attacks but vowed to “liberate” Crimea , saying “This Russian war against Ukraine and against the entire free Europe began with Crimea and must end with Crimea – with its liberation. “Russia has turned our peninsula, which has always been and will be one of the best places in Europe, into one of the most dangerous places in Europe. But we will return to the Ukrainian Crimea. From the Kharkiv region to Kherson, from Donetsk to Enerhodar, from Stanytsia Luhanska to Yalta, from Berdyansk to Novofedorivka – these are all parts of our country, this is Ukraine, which will be completely free. One adviser to the president, Mikhail Podolyak, said Ukraine was not taking responsibility for the explosions, suggesting partisans might have been involved. Asked by the Dozhd online television channel whether Kyiv was taking responsibility, replied: “Of course not. What do we have to do with this?”

Please check source for more on this story

SOURCE = The Guardian

————————————————————————————————

————————————————————————————————

Explosions kill 1 and injure 9 at a Russian air base in Crimea

August 9th 2022

ODESA, Ukraine — A series of explosions rocked a key Russian air base on the Kremlin-occupied Crimean Peninsula on Tuesday, sending up huge plumes of smoke, killing at least one person and sowing confusion among local officials about what exactly had occurred. As Russian and occupation officials scrambled to determine the cause, raising the terrorist threat level in the area, a senior Ukrainian military official with knowledge of the situation said that Ukrainian forces were behind the blast at the Saki Air Base on the western coast of Crimea. “This was an air base from which planes regularly took off for attacks against our forces in the southern theater,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters. The official would not disclose the type of weapon used in the attack, saying only that “a device exclusively of Ukrainian manufacture was used.” A Ukrainian attack on Russian forces in the Crimean Peninsula would represent a significant expansion of Ukraine’s offensive efforts, which until now have been largely limited to pushing Russian troops back from territories occupied after Feb. 24, when the invasion began.

It would also be an embarrassment for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, who often speaks of Crimea, which he illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as if it were hallowed ground. Ukraine possesses few weapons that can reach the peninsula, aside from aircraft that would risk being shot down immediately by Russia’s heavy air defenses in the region. The air base, which is near the city of Novofederivka, is nearly 200 miles from the nearest Ukrainian military position. Videos verified and reviewed by The New York Times show that a plume of smoke was rising from the air base just before the explosions. There were at least three explosions: two in quick succession and a third a few moments later. It is unclear from the videos what caused the blasts. In addition, a video uploaded to social media shows at least one warplane, an Su-24M, completely destroyed on the tarmac at the base.

Please check source for more on this story

SOURCE = New York Times

————————————————————————————————

————————————————————————————————

Crimea to be not a military base for terrorists but world resort – Office of the President

August 10th 2022

As soon as Ukraine liberates the temporarily occupied Crimea, it will be not a military base used by Russian terrorists but a national park and world resort. The relevant statement was made by Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podolyak on Twitter, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. “Demilitarization of the Russian Federation – an integral part of global security ensuring. The future of the Crimea is to be a pearl of the Black Sea, a national park with unique nature and a world resort. Not a military base for terrorists. It is just the beginning,” Podolyak wrote.

Earlier, Podolyak noted that Russia suggests that the world accept Nazi World 2.0, which includes the “right of force”. “In addition: mass executions, torture, child abduction, filtration concentration camps. All presented under the brand of ‘Russian World’. Only half a step away from gas chambers. This must be stopped,” Podolyak stressed. A reminder that, on August 9, 2022, explosions were heard in the occupied Crimea’s Novofedorivka, where the Russian military airbase is located. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it was simply a “detonation of air ammunition”.

SOURCE = UkrinForm

————————————————————————————————

————————————————————————————————

Russian forces reconnaissance and offensive operations on Bakhmut front unsuccessful – General Staff report

August 9th 2022

Russian occupying forces are attempting to advance on the Bakhmut front. In particular, they conducted an assault on Spirne, but were met with fire from the Ukrainian Armed Forces and retreated in disarray. Meanwhile, the Russians used all types of weapons at their disposal, including aircraft, to fire on Ukrainian positions on several other fronts.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 18:00 on 9 August

Details: The situation has not changed significantly on the Volyn, Polissia and Sivershchyna fronts.

On the Sivershchyna front, Russian forces fired on the areas near Mykolaivka (Chernihiv Oblast) and Katerynivka, Seredyna-Buda and Mezenivka (Sumy Oblast) using tubed and rocket artillery. The Russians used UAVs to conduct aerial reconnaissance of Ukrainian defence positions near Hai (Chernihiv Oblast) and Shalyhine (Sumy Oblast). On the Kharkiv front, Russian forces used tank guns, as well as rocket and tubed artillery, to fire on the areas in and around Ridne, Sosnivka, Prudianka, Slatyne, Pytomnyk, Ruska Lozova, Petrivka, Chepil, Pechenihy and Slobozhanske – and conducted an airstrike near Verkhnii Saltiv.

Please check source for more on this story

SOURCE = Ukrainska Pravda

————————————————————————————————

————————————————————————————————

Ukraine war must end with liberation of Crimea – Zelensky

August 10th 2022

The war in Ukraine began with Crimea and must end with its liberation, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. He was speaking just hours after a string of explosions hit a Russian airbase there, killing one person. Mr Zelensky did not mention the blasts but devoted his nightly address to the peninsula, saying: “Crimea is Ukrainian and we will never give it up.” Russia has played down the explosions, and a top Ukrainian adviser denied Ukraine was responsible. Crimea is officially part of Ukraine but was annexed by Russia in 2014 after a referendum which the international community sees as illegitimate. Many Ukrainians see this as the start of their war with Russia. On Tuesday, a series of explosions rocked the Saky military base near Novofedorivka, in the west of Crimea – which is near seaside resorts popular with Russian tourists. Footage on social media showed beachgoers running as the explosions hit, with witnesses saying they had heard at least 12 blasts. Crimea’s Russian-appointed health department said one civilian had been killed and another eight injured. Russia’s defence ministry insisted the blasts were down to ammunition that had exploded in a store – although this has not been independently verified.

And Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak denied that Ukraine was behind the blasts, telling the Dozhd online television channel: “Of course not. What do we have to do with this?” Any attack on Crimea by Ukraine would be considered deeply serious by Moscow. Russia sounded a warning last month when ex-President Dmitry Medvedev threatened that “Judgement Day will instantly await” if Ukraine targeted Crimea. Mr Zelensky did not refer to the blasts in his speech on Tuesday, but spoke at length about the peninsula, saying: “We will not forget that the Russian war against Ukraine began with the occupation of Crimea. “This Russian war…began with Crimea and must end with Crimea – with its liberation,” he said. Mr Zelensky’s latest remarks suggest he believes that Ukraine must retake the peninsula before the war can end – but in the past he has said different things on the issue. He previously indicated Ukraine could accept peace if Russia returned to their positions before 24 February, meaning retaking Crimea would not be considered a requirement.

Please check source for more on this story

SOURCE = BBC News

————————————————————————————————

————————————————————————————————

One Dead, Several Injured in Explosions Near Russian Air Base in Crimea – Officials

August 9th 2022

Multiple explosions near a Russian naval air base on the western coast of annexed Crimea killed one person and injured several more Tuesday, according to eyewitness accounts and local pro-Kremlin officials. Videos filmed by eyewitnesses show a huge plume of black smoke rising from the direction of the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s Saki air base and beach-goers fleeing in the nearby resort town Novofyodorovka. A total of 13 blasts of varying intensity were reported in the area, according to eyewitness reports cited by Reuters. Local officials confirmed that an explosion had taken place but said they were still working to determine the cause. “I can confirm the fact of several explosions in the area of Novofyodorovka. I ask everyone to wait for the official information and not to spread [fake] explanations,” Oleg Kryuchkov, an aide to the Moscow-installed head of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov, said on the Telegram messaging app. Officials initially said that no one had been hurt but Aksyonov later said that one person had died as a result of the blasts. Earlier Tuesday, the region’s top health official said that five people including a child had been injured.

Aksoynov posted a video from the explosion site, where he can be seen saying that residential buildings located near the air base were evacuated.  The air base is located deep within Russian-controlled territory over 200 kilometers behind the front lines, leading to speculation that the incident may have been the result of a long-distance missile strike by Kyiv’s forces. An unnamed senior Ukrainian military official told The New York Times that Kyiv’s forces were in fact behind the explosions. “This was an air base from which planes regularly took off for attacks against our forces in the southern theater,” the official told The New York Times, saying only that “a device exclusively of Ukrainian manufacture was used” in the strike.

Please check source for more on this story

SOURCE = Moscow Times

————————————————————————————————

————————————————————————————————

Multiple explosions reported at Russian military airbase in occupied Crimea

August 9th 2022

A series of loud blasts were heard from the direction of a Russian military airbase in the western part of occupied Crimea in late afternoon on Aug. 9, according to multiple media reports. Shortly after the explosions took place, videos of black smoke rising above what is believed to be Russia’s Saki Air Base in Novofedorivka captured from a nearby beach began appearing on the internet. Other videos repeatedly shared on Telegram channels show local residents fleeing their homes following the mysterious explosions. Three local witnesses told Reuters that they heard loud explosions from the direction of the Russian airbase and saw black smoke rising into the sky. The news agency also reported, citing witnesses, that at least 12 explosions of varying intensity were heard within a minute, followed by what was reportedly the loudest blast about half an hour later. Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing local residents, that explosions continued to be heard in the settlement later in the day. Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed that there were explosions at about 3:20 p.m. on the territory of the Saki airfield but claimed that they were caused by ammunition detonation. The ministry also claimed that while several munitions detonated at a bunded storage area, no one was injured at the scene of the explosion and no aviation equipment at the site was damaged. 

Contrary to the Russian Defense Ministry’s claim, its proxies in the occupied peninsula reported that one person was killed and five people were injured by the explosions. It is not clear whether the injured victims were workers at the airfield or civilians living in the area. Ukraine has not commented in detail on the blasts yet. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry published a statement following the reports of explosions saying that it couldn’t “establish the cause” of the smoke.  Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said that Aug. 9 marks the International Day of Indigenous Peoples, to which the peninsula’s ethnoreligious communities such as Crimean Tatars, Karaites, and Krymchaks belong to.  “Today’s explosions in Novofedorivka are yet another reminder of to whom Crimea belongs to,” Vereshchuk said, without going further into details. “It (Crimea) is Ukraine!” the official added. Following the explosions, videos showing large traffic jams on the Crimean Bridge, which connects the occupied peninsula with Russia, appeared on social media as many presumably tried to leave Crimea.

Please check source for more on this story

SOURCE = Kyiv Independent

————————————————————————————————

————————————————————————————————

Ukraine jails Russian tank crewman for firing on flats

August 8th 2022

A Ukrainian court has jailed a Russian tank crewman for 10 years for firing on a multistoried apartment block, the security services (SBU) announced Monday. Sergeant Mikhail Kulikov fired at the building in the northern city of Chernihiv at the start of Russia’s invasion, in late February. The Chernihiv court convicted him of a war crime. Kulikov “crossed Ukrainian border from Belarus,” on February 24, the day the Russian invasion began, said the SBU, adding that he fired on villages as he proceeded to Chernihiv.

“On February 26, following his commander’s order, he fired at 11-storey residential building housing civilians,” the statement said, adding that some flats were destroyed. Ukraine in May convicted a 21-year-old Russian sergeant, Vadim Shishimarin, for the murder of a civilian, a sentence lowered on appeal to 15 years. In another case, two Russian soldiers who shelled two villages in the northeast Kharkiv region in the early days of the war were jailed for 11 years.

SOURCE = Kyiv Post

————————————————————————————————

————————————————————————————————

Ukraine war: Huge explosions rock Russian military base in Crimea

August 9th 2022

Powerful explosions rocked an air base in Russian-occupied Crimea on Tuesday, leaving at least one person dead and nine others injured, according to authorities. Russia’s defence ministry said that munitions blew up at the Saki base but insisted the installation had not been shelled. “Several munitions intended for aviation exploded in a depot located on the territory of the Saki military airfield, near the locality of Novofiodorovka,” the statement said, quoted by Russian news agencies. Ukrainian social networks were abuzz with speculation that it was hit by Ukrainian-fired long-range missiles, and the New York Times cites Ukrainian sources who confirm it was their military that carried out the attack. There has been no official confirmation as yet.  Videos posted on social networks showed sunbathers fleeing a nearby beach as huge clouds of smoke from the explosions rose over the horizon.

Russia’s state news agency Tass quoted an unidentified ministry source as saying the explosions’ primary cause appeared to be a “violation of fire safety requirements.” The ministry said no warplanes were damaged. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said sarcastically on Facebook: “The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine cannot establish the cause of the fire, but once again recalls the rules of fire safety and the prohibition of smoking in unspecified places.” During the war, Russia has reported numerous fires and explosions at munitions storage sites on its territory near the Ukrainian border, blaming some of them on Ukrainian strikes. Ukrainian authorities have mostly remained mum about the incidents. If Ukrainian forces were, in fact, responsible for the blasts at the air base, it would mark the first known major attack on a Russian military site on the Crimean Peninsula, which the Kremlin annexed in 2014. 

Please check source for more on this story

SOURCE = Euro News

————————————————————————————————

————————————————————————————————