Russia’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed that it had intercepted and destroyed 33 Ukrainian aerial drones over occupied Crimea and two over Russia’s Bryansk Oblast overnight on 18 July. The MoD also said it had allegedly destroyed ten unmanned boats in the Black Sea that were allegedly heading towards the Crimean peninsula.
The Ukrainian Navy, Security Service, and Military Intelligence frequently target Russian naval assets in occupied Crimea, though they do not officially confirm their involvement in these attacks.
At night, local sources in Crimea reported a series of explosions and military activity. The Ukrainian Telegram channel Krymskyi Veter provided detailed accounts of events in two main areas in Crimea: Lake Donuzlav and Sevastopol City.
Residents of occupied Crimea heard explosions and shooting in Donuzlav and Sevastopol last night. Russia's occupation authorities claimed to have repelled a naval drone attack.https://t.co/GKXnysvQxS
????https://t.co/N4n59ipv9J pic.twitter.com/KIA5eGccHe— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) July 18, 2024
In the Donuzlav area, located on the western coast of Crimea, explosions were reported starting from about 3:25 a.m. Krymskyi Veter relayed subscriber reports of loud booms in the Novoozerne settlement, where power outages and even shattered windows were mentioned. The nearby settlement of Myrnyi also experienced loud explosions, with video evidence showing plumes of black smoke. Russian sources claimed that military exercises were ongoing in Chornomorske district until 4 a.m.
Lake Donuzlav is located on the western coast of Crimea. Its northern bank falls within the Chornomorske district, while on its southern bank it features the Myrnyi settlement of Evpatoria city and Novoozerne further east. Since 1961, Lake Donuzlav was made into a bay, after the Soviets connected it to the Black Sea with a 200-meter wide canal, establishing a naval base. The base is currently utilized by Russia along with the adjacent old airbase infrastructure.
Later, NASA FIRMS data confirmed a fire in Novoozerne following the night’s events.
In Sevastopol, approximately 90 km south of Donuzlav, explosions and gunfire were reported around 4:52 AM in the area of Kazachya Bay. Krymskyi Veter shared videos featuring helicopter fire and launches from the ground, reportedly targeting a sea drone.
The Russian-installed so-called “governor of Sevastopol,” Mikhail Razvozhaev, claimed at 4:46 AM that their military had repelled an attack by an unmanned surface vessel, which was allegedly destroyed.
Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk did not provide any details of the allegedly Ukrainian attack, but stated on the FreeDom TV channel that there are no longer any safe locations for Russian ships in Crimea.
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