Ukraine has acknowledged its involvement in a missile strike on the Russian Black Sea fleet’s headquarters in Crimea, which resulted in one serviceman going missing and causing significant damage to the main building.
The Russian Defense Ministry initially reported the death of a servicemember but later issued an updated statement indicating that the individual was declared missing after the attack in Sevastopol, a port city.
According to the BBC, Ukraine employed missiles provided by Western sources in its attack on the base of Russia’s Black Sea Naval fleet in Crimea, which is currently under Russian control.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, Russian-installed governor for Sevastopol, said, “The enemy launched a missile attack on the headquarters of the fleet.”
He reported on Friday that there were no injuries outside the burning headquarters building. However, he did not share details about potential additional casualties. Firefighters were actively working to control the blaze, and the increasing deployment of emergency personnel suggested the possibility of a significant fire.
The Associated Press reported that, in what seems like a recognition of Ukraine’s accountability for the intense attack, Ukraine’s air force commander Gen Mykola Oleshchuk said on Telegram, “We told you there’d be more,” as he thanked his pilots.
The mentioned attack occurred one day following a series of Russian missile and artillery strikes on Ukrainian cities, resulting in a minimum of five casualties.
This took place as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy engaged in discussions with the US President Joe Biden and congressional representatives in Washington, where they deliberated on the possibility of providing an extra $24 billion in aid.
Approximately 19 months ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia had annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has been a recurrent focal point of concern. The annexation of Crimea in 2014 was widely regarded as illegal by most of the international community.
Frances Ibiefo
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