Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The Russian administration on Crimea has not yet commented on the reports.
Russian air defense has allegedly shot down one of it’s own fighter jets over the occupied Crimean Peninsula.
According to Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, the Russian air defense was trying to fend off a Ukrainian drone assault.
“They repelled Ukrainian attacks so much that they were able to shoot down their own plane today over Crimea,” Pletenchuk said on Ukrainian national television according to The Kyiv Independent
Drones and missiles
The Ukrainian drones reportedly managed to hit an oil depot near the Gvardeyskoye airbase in Crimea. According to the Crimean Wind Telegram channel, footage showed the oil depot on fire, although these reports have not been independently verified.
The Russian administration Sevastopol has not yet commented on the attack.
400 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, in the Russian city of Sochi, air defenses were also activated to repel Ukrainian attacks.
The mayor of Sochi, Andrei Proshunin, later claimed that the air defence system succesfully fought off a missile attack, after 10 airports had been temporarily closed due for safety.
The attack happened during the night, and at 0.30 AM local, the mayor declared the drone and missile threats cleared.
Ukraine ramping up drone strikes
Overnight, Ukrainian drones also targeted energy infrastructure deep within Russia. The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces confirmed that an oil refinery in Saratov Oblast was struck.
In Volgograd Oblast, a drone strike reportedly caused a fire at an electrical substation, regional Governor Andrey Bocharov said early the following morning. Footage from the scene showed large flames and smoke billowing from the site.
Ukraine’s army regularly strikes military infrastructure within occupied territories and deep within Russia in an attempt to diminish Moscow’s fighting power as it continues to wage its war against Ukraine.
This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, which may have used AI in the preparation
