(Moscow) A Ukrainian drone attack caused the explosion of an ammunition depot on Saturday in Crimea and the order was given to evacuate the population within a radius of five kilometers, said the governor of this peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014.
It came five days after an attack targeting the only bridge connecting Crimea to Russia.
Saturday’s attack also caused a brief interruption to road traffic on the Crimean Bridge, which was however quickly restored, pro-Russian authorities announced on Telegram. Rail traffic has been suspended.
Crimea has been targeted throughout Russia’s offensive in Ukraine, but attacks have escalated in recent weeks.
“As a result of an attack by enemy drones in the Krasnogvardeisky district, there was an explosion in an ammunition depot,” Governor Sergei Aksionov said on Telegram.
“The decision was made to evacuate people living within a radius of five kilometers. In order to minimize the risks, it was also decided to stop rail traffic,” he added.
The governor did not specify the place affected, merely indicating that it was the Krasnogvardeïski district, located inland, in the center of the Black Sea peninsula.
In recent weeks, Kyiv has launched a counter-offensive to retake lands lost to Moscow, claiming it intends to reclaim Crimea.
Speaking remotely to the Aspen Security Forum (United States) on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ruled that the Russian Crimean bridge should be “neutralized”. According to him, this bridge, inaugurated by President Vladimir Putin in 2018, “provides ammunition to the Crimean peninsula”.
Kyiv considers the bridge an “enemy object” built in violation of international law.