On 18 October, air raid alarms began sounding in Sevastopol, in occupied Crimea, a few minutes after a loud blast hit the central part of the city, Krym.Realii reported.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the so-called “governor” of Sevastopol, said Russian air defense units intercepted a missile over Kara-Koba mountain and its fragments detonated in a field.
“In Sukharna Balka district, our Russia’s Black Sea fleet is repelling an aerial attack. All services are on high alert. Smoke is seen from the area of Tsukrova Holivka. Rescuers have already left for the scene. Information about infrastructure damage is being clarified,” he wrote on Telegram.
Later, the Russian defense ministry said two missiles had been shot down over Crimea, both of them converted S-200 anti-aircraft defense missiles.
Since August 2022, blasts have been heard almost every day in Crimea. The Russian authorities explain them as interception of “Ukrainian drones,” the operation of air defense systems, or military exercises by the Russian armed forces. The head of the Russian occupation government in Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, has referred to drones as the “main threat” to Crimea. In October 2022, an explosion occurred on the Crimean Bridge.
The peninsula is under a “yellow” level of terrorist threat. The Simferopol airport is closed.
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