(Moscow) Russia announced that it had “repelled” a drone attack on the port of Sevastopol on Wednesday, just four days after a visit by Vladimir Putin to this city in Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Moscow.
“The three aircraft were shot down,” said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, pointing out that two of them had been destroyed by two military women.
“I would like these young women to be decorated and paid a bounty for destroying enemy (drones)”, he added.
Shortly before, the local governor Mikhail Razvojayev, installed by Russia, had announced that “ the Black Sea Fleet had repelled a surface drone attack against Sevastopol ”.
The assault caused no casualties and “ the situation is under control ”, he assured on Telegram, adding that the explosions had broken the windows of neighboring buildings. Among these buildings is a cultural center called “The House of Moscow”, located next to the port and very well known in the city.
“ They tried to enter our bay, our sailors fired on them with small arms. The anti-aircraft defense also worked,” added Mr. Razvojayev.
According to Mr. Razvojayev, after the drone attack, several local radio stations in Sevastopol broadcast false alerts to the population about an evacuation order after their airwaves were hacked by Ukrainian pirates.
“ Information on the evacuation of the peninsula using ferries is disseminated”, he said, denouncing a “ lie ”.
“In case of real danger, the alerts will be broadcast on all channels at the same time and, what is most important, they will be broadcast via loudspeakers in the street which are impossible to hack”, assured Mr. Razvozhaev , insisting: “ In the city, everything is calm ”.
Sevastopol is the home port of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Since the launch of the offensive against Ukraine in February 2022, Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, has been the target of drone attacks several times.
This drone attack comes less than a week after a visit to Crimea by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the day after Kyiv announced the destruction of Russian Kalibr cruise missiles during their transport by rail in Crimea, without confirming the involvement of the Ukrainian army.
At the end of October, the Russian Black Sea Fleet had been the target of a major drone strike attributed by the Kremlin to Ukraine and which had prompted Russia to suspend the important agreement on Ukrainian grain exports.
