Russia thwarted a large Ukrainian drone assault, capturing down as many as 42 drones close to Crimea, Moscow’s Defense Ministry reported Friday.
The barrage was the most important latest air assault on the peninsula and a day after Kyiv claimed a particular forces raid on the territory.
Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, has been focused by Kyiv all through Moscow’s Ukraine offensive however has come beneath extra intense, elevated assaults in latest weeks.
Nine drones have been “destroyed … over the territory of the Republic of Crimea,” the protection ministry wrote on Telegram early Friday.
Thirty-three others “were suppressed by electronic warfare and crashed without reaching the target,” it stated, with out specifying whether or not there had been any harm or casualties.
Earlier, an area Russian-installed official stated a number of drones had been destroyed over the ocean off Crimea’s Cape Khersones.
The cape is situated within the southwest of the peninsula close to Sevastopol, which is house to Russia’s Black Sea fleet.
Emergency companies reported no harm to civilian infrastructure from these drones, Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhayev wrote on Telegram.
It was not clear whether or not they have been included within the 42 reported by the Defense Ministry.
“All forces and services are in a state of combat readiness,” Razvozhayev stated.
Kyiv has repeatedly stated it plans to take Crimea again.
In latest weeks it has focused Russian infrastructure on the peninsula with barrages of as much as 28 aerial drones.
On Thursday, Ukraine stated its forces had landed on the peninsula and flown the nation’s flag throughout a “special operation” to mark its second wartime Independence Day.
Special forces troops had landed in a single day on Crimea’s western shore close to the cities of Olenivka and Mayak, the place they’d “engaged in combat,” Ukraine’s GUR intelligence company stated.
Moscow has additionally accused Ukraine of attacking the Russian-built Crimean bridge, which connects the peninsula to Russia.
The bridge has been closed as a consequence of a number of incidents together with a large explosion in October final 12 months.
Missile
Reports of the aerial assault come because the Pentagon stated it might start coaching Ukrainian F-16 pilots within the United States beginning subsequent month.
The jets have lengthy been sought by Kyiv, now slowed down in a plodding counteroffensive geared toward retaking land held by Russian forces.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian chief Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke Thursday about plans to coach Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets, the White House stated.
Earlier, Biden had stated he was “not surprised” at news that Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary group and who led a short mutiny in opposition to Russia’s army, could have died in a aircraft crash.
“I don’t know for a fact what happened, but I’m not surprised,” Biden stated.
Putin broke his silence Thursday on news of the crash, paying a certified tribute to the mercenary boss and the paramilitary group he led.
“He was a man of complicated fate, and he made serious mistakes in his life, but he achieved the right results,” Putin stated.
Air protection methods destroyed a Ukrainian missile over Kaluga area, Moscow’s Defense Ministry stated Friday.
Kaluga borders the Moscow area, which has been focused by a barrage of Ukrainian drone assaults in latest days after Kyiv vowed to “return” the battle to Russia.
Flights to and from Moscow’s Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports have been briefly halted, the TASS news company reported Friday, citing aviation companies and with out specifying why.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
