Russia Says Repelled Ukraine Drone Attack on Crimea Fleet - The Moscow Times

The Russian service accused Ukraine of a "massive" drone onslaught connected its Black Sea Fleet successful Crimea connected Saturday, claiming the U.K. helped successful the onslaught that damaged a ship.

Sevastopol successful Moscow-annexed Crimea, which has been targeted respective times successful caller months, serves arsenic the office for the fleet and a logistical hub for operations successful Ukraine.

The Russian service claimed to person "destroyed" 9 aerial drones and 7 maritime ones, successful an onslaught aboriginal Saturday successful the port. 

Moscow's forces alleged British "specialists," whom they said were based successful the confederate Ukrainian metropolis of Ochakiv, had helped hole and bid Kyiv to transportation retired the strike.  

In a further singling retired of the U.K. — which Moscow sees arsenic 1 of the astir unfriendly Western countries — Moscow said the aforesaid British portion was progressive successful explosions of the Nord Stream state pipeline past month. 

Moscow's subject said ships targeted astatine their Crimean basal were progressive successful a UN-brokered woody to let the export of Ukrainian grain. 

Russia had precocious criticized the deal, saying its ain atom exports person suffered owed to Western sanctions. 

'Massive' attack

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-instaled politician of Sevastopol, said Saturday's drone onslaught was the "most massive" the peninsula had seen. 

The city's services were connected "alert" but helium claimed nary "civilian infrastructure" had been damaged. 

He called connected residents of the metropolis not to station videos of the incidental connected societal media.

"It should beryllium wide to everyone that specified accusation is overmuch needed for Ukrainian Nazis successful bid to recognize however the defence of our metropolis is built," helium said.

City authorities said that the harbor was "temporarily" closed to boats and ferries and urged radical "not to panic." 

Attacks connected Crimea, annexed by Moscow successful 2014, person accrued successful caller weeks, arsenic Kyiv presses with a counteroffensive successful the southbound to retake lands held by Moscow for months. 

Moscow-installed authorities successful Kherson, conscionable northbound of Crimea, person vowed to crook the metropolis into a fortress, preparing for an inevitable assault. 

On Thursday, Razvozhayev said a thermal powerfulness presumption had been attacked successful Balaklava, successful the Sevastopol area. 

He claimed determination was lone insignificant harm and nary casualties.  

In aboriginal October, Moscow's span linking Crimea to the Russian mainland — personally inaugurated by President Vladimir Putin successful 2018 — was damaged by a blast that Putin blamed connected Ukraine. 

The Russian fleet stationed successful the larboard had besides been attacked by a drone successful August.  

Russia's allegations Saturday came arsenic the Ukrainian service reported warring successful the Luhansk and Donetsk regions successful the east, including adjacent Bakhmut — the lone country wherever Moscow's forces person precocious successful caller weeks.  

Pro-Russian separatists warring alongside Moscow besides announced a caller captive speech with Kyiv, saying 50 volition instrumentality location from each side. 

On the confederate front, AFP journalists witnessed artillery battles successful the colony of Kobzartsi, the past colony connected the Ukrainian broadside earlier the enactment of interaction with the Russians. 

"It tin spell incorrect here. But we cognize that they endure overmuch much connected their broadside than connected ours," said a Ukrainian worker successful his 20s, Oleksiy. 

Both sides were gearing up for the conflict for the metropolis of Kherson, the determination superior that fell to Moscow's forces successful the archetypal days of their offensive.