Putin suffers embarrassing blow as Ukraine missile strike 'creates corridor' to Crimea
Ukraine has carried out tactical missile strikes in a bid to create a pathway to the bridge joining Russia and Crimea, with partisans placing the country in sight of a major breakthrough.
The country has launched a massive attack on the Russian-held Crimean peninsula, causing a huge explosion which sent flames pouring forth from a military base. The peninsula has been the focus of defending Ukrainians in recent weeks, and photos shared following today's attacks showing smoke rising from Balaklava.
The raid focused on a military depot in the village of Flotskoye, a community near the district, with Telegram channel Crimean Wind reporting that an air raid alert was sounded on Monday. The attack was later confirmed by Sevastopol's Russian proxy leader, Mikhail Razvozhayev, who said air defences were operational.
Kerch bridge
Ukraine's armed forces had reportedly used British Storm Shadow missiles in the strike, which Razvozhayev said were all shot down by defence systems. He claimed that four targets were destroyed, but that "wreckage fell in the coastal zone" and that he was still clarifying information about possible resulting damage.
The Daily Express reported that ATESH, a group spying on Russians in occupied Crimea, has posted photos of the anti-aircraft missiles reportedly used in the strike to its social media channels. The group claimed it was systematically removing air defence systems and radar stations in a bid to create a "corridor" to the Crimean bridge.
Kerch bridge
In one post, the group wrote: "The countdown to the life of the illegal structure has begun." Ukrainian officials are yet to comment on the attack, but have previously targeted the structure, the Kerch bridge, and previously pledged to attack it once again earlier this year.
Ukraine's HUR military intelligence service said in April that it planned to launch an attack on Kerch within the first half of 2024, with one official telling the Guardian they had "most of the means to carry out this goal". The official added that the officials are following a plan approved by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to "minimise" the Russian naval presence in the Black Sea. Following two previous attempts, the official added another attack is "inevitable".