According to an unnamed Ukrainian intelligence source who spoke to Reuters, the SBU security service and the Ukrainian Navy attacked the air base south of Saky in Russian-occupied Crimea last night.
According to the source, they caused “considerable damage”. The base is located right next to the village of Novofedorivka. Russian forces, on the other hand, claimed to have destroyed 19 Ukrainian drones over Crimea and the Black Sea, but did not provide details on casualties or damage. Reuters could not independently verify the reports.
According to the source, drones were used first, followed by Neptune cruise missiles. At least twelve combat aircraft and man-portable air defense systems were reportedly located at the western base in Crimea, according to the German news platform n-tv.de. The base also functioned as a training camp for drone pilots.
This information comes from a party to the conflict and has not yet been independently verified / confirmed. For this reason, the report must be evaluated with reservations. In war, it can be advantageous for parties to make false statements about the course of the conflict in order to strengthen their own position or weaken the position of the opponent.
Image: kremlin.ru, 2018 inauguration of Vladimir Putin 53, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (image size modified)
