Ukrainian missile strikes hit Crimea
Mikhail Razvozhaev, head of the annexed Sevastopol administration, reported a missile strike by the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) on the city on Sunday, 23 June. According to him, all five "airborne targets" were successfully intercepted by air defenses, but their debris fell in the coastal area. "The number of fatalities has risen to three: we lost two children and one adult," he wrote in his latest update on Telegram at 14:38 Moscow time. Later, the Russian Ministry of Health reported that the number of injured had risen to 124, including 27 children.
At 14:29 Moscow time, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed on Telegram the attack on Sevastopol by the AFU with five U.S.-supplied ATACMS operational-tactical missiles equipped with cluster warheads. The attack took place around 12:15 am Moscow time, the ministry clarified.
"During the interception, four American missiles were downed by the air defense units. Another missile, as a result of the air defense's intervention, deviated from its trajectory, causing its warhead to detonate midair over the city," the statement reads. The Ministry of Defense mentioned that "over 20 civilians, including children," were injured by debris from the cluster submunitions but did not provide details on fatalities.
Several Russian channels reported that the Crimean Bridge was closed following the attack.
The previous day, Russian forces launched renewed strikes on Kharkiv, as reported by the head of the regional military administration, Oleh Syniehubov, and the city mayor, Ihor Terekhov. According to Terekhov, two people were killed, and 18 were injured. Syniehubov's post mentioned 15 injured, but later revised the figure to 54 injured. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported three fatalities in the evening.
"Preliminary reports state four strikes on Kharkiv. It is known that the strikes hit densely populated residential areas," the mayor indicated. Syniehubov confirmed that guided aerial bombs were used, which impacted residential zones.
According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES), early on 23 June, rescuers addressed the aftermath of a Russian aerial bomb hitting a five-story building in Kharkiv the previous day. The SES reported that "two people were killed, and another 53, including three children, were injured due to the bomb impact."