Ukraine launches another drone attack on Crimea
Russian air defense and Black Sea Fleet forces repelled an attack by Ukrainian armed forces in the annexed Sevastopol, said Sevastopol's "governor," Mikhail Razvozhayev, on Friday, August 16.
Razvozhayev stated in Telegram that initial reports indicate that three drones were destroyed over the water. According to his version, civilian infrastructure in the city was undamaged.
Meanwhile, Sergey Bratchuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Volunteer Army "South," claims that the overnight attack preliminarily hit a ferry terminal in the port of Kerch and a vessel in Chornomorske, western Crimea.
The Russian Ministry of Defense asserts that five aerial drones were intercepted and destroyed over the Black Sea. Additionally, Russian forces report the destruction of two unmanned boats heading toward the Crimean Peninsula.
Telegram channel ASTRA reported that movement on the Crimean Bridge was temporarily halted following the massive attack on the annexed region, resuming only in the morning.
Residents of Kerch reported a significant amount of debris in the city and several road closures, according to ASTRA. The Telegram channel "Crimean Wind" noted fires and damages near Mount Mithridate.
Verifying the claims from either side was not possible at the time of publication. The Ukrainian Air Force has yet to comment on the attack.
The Ukrainian armed forces have been conducting a large-scale offensive in Russia's Kursk region since August 6. On August 9, counter-terrorism operations were declared in the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions. Alexey Smirnov, the acting governor of Kursk, stated on August 12 that over 120,000 people were either evacuated or fled the region.