Ukraine launches missile attack against Crimea, Donetsk and Rostov
Ukraine has reportedly launched a missile attack on Crimea and Donetsk, with several missiles reportedly heading towards Novoshakhtinsk in Russia's Rostov region. A missile strike threat has been declared near Akhtubinsk, close to the Kapustin Yar military base.
Russian Telegram channel "Incident Sevastopol" reports that approximately nine Ukrainian fighter jets launched cruise missiles. Footage of the launches has been captured in the Kherson region. The Russian channel 13 TACTICAL noted that multiple missiles flew towards Dzhankoy, Novoshakhtinsk, and even German Taurus missiles towards Rostov.
Germany had planned to supply Taurus missiles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Sevastopol’s military units have sounded alarms, and an explosion has been reported in the Krasnoperekopsky district.
Vehicle traffic on the Kerch Bridge has been halted, according to the monitoring channel "Crimean Wind." In Novoaleksiivka, Kherson region, near the peninsula border, a missile was reportedly heard flying overhead at 21:40. Russian Telegram channels report British Storm Shadow missile sightings over northern Crimea and towards Russia's Rostov region.
Russian military channels reported explosions in Donetsk and Yasynuvata. Eyewitnesses in the city center reported seeing smoke.
Preliminary reports suggest Ukrainian Air Forces targeted a metallurgical plant in Donetsk and a railway station in Yasynuvata. It was later reported that the headquarters of the 8th Combined Arms Army of Russia, located in Donetsk’s central department store, was hit. The Ukrainian Command has not commented on the missile strikes on occupied Donbas and Crimea.
A missile alert has also been issued in Akhtubinsk, Astrakhan region. The city's mayor, Alexander Sivakov, urged residents to stay indoors, avoid large crowds, and monitor official information closely. Akhtubinsk houses an airport of the same name. The nearby Kapustin Yar missile range in the Astrakhan region was previously used by Russia to launch medium-range ballistic missiles known as "Oreshnik."
The distance from the frontlines to Akhtubinsk and the range is over 600 kilometers. As of late May, reports estimated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces could have around 40 sets of ATACMS missiles remaining. The UK and Germany are working on producing new weapons capable of long-range and precision strikes, with a target range exceeding 2,000 kilometers.