Drone Attack on Crimea
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-backed governor of Sevastopol, stated that “more than ten drones” were sent to Crimea and Sevastopol overnight on Sunday. “The air defence forces and electronic warfare units prevented another attack on Sevastopol,” he added in a Telegram message.
According to officials and the media, Russian air defence systems repulsed the Ukrainian drone strikes, and at least three of the unmanned vehicles were shot down above the Crimean port of Sevastopol.
There have been no reports of damage from the attacks anywhere on the Crimean Peninsula. Razvozhayev confirmed that “No objects (in Sevastopol) were damaged.”
Blasts rock Russia-annexed Crimea as sirens blare across Ukraine #army #blare https://t.co/lDas6rMJyl
— WhatsNew2Day (@whatsn2day) May 7, 2023
The alleged drone attacks occurred on Sunday as Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the paramilitary Wagner Group, urged Moscow to allow Chechen fighters to relieve his forces at the front-line city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, and the UN nuclear chief warned of “dangerous” conditions surrounding the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
Local Telegram channels have already reported hearing explosions in Crimea. On Saturday, Oleg Kryuchkov, an advisor to Crimea’s governor, alleged that Russian air defences shot down two Ukrainian Hrim-2 ballistic missiles over the peninsula.
Crimean governor, Sergei Aksyonov, claimed there were no damages or injuries when air defence troops shot down a ballistic missile launched by the Ukrainian Operational Tactical Missile System Hrim-2.
Russia Destroys Ukrainian Drones over Black Sea
According to Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Defence Ministry, Moscow has intercepted and destroyed 22 Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea in the last 24 hours, while its air defences have destroyed more than 4,000 Ukrainian drones since the war began.
Drone warfare between Moscow and Kyiv is on the rise, with both sides utilising Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to target critical infrastructure. However, Kyiv has not openly or formally acknowledged responsibility for the drone attacks Moscow has accused it of.
Andy Vermaut shares:Russia Says It Destroyed 22 Ukrainian Drones Over The Black Sea On Sunday: © Sergey Malgavko/TASS
— Andy Vermaut (@AndyVermaut) May 8, 2023
Insider: Ukraine launched more than 10 attack drones on Crimea in an overnight barrage, a Russian-installed official says
… Thank you. https://t.co/oAoLEMLe2R pic.twitter.com/uleZuKwGaE
Ukraine Destroying Iran-made Russian Drones
Ukraine’s top military command announced on Monday that its forces had destroyed all 35 Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia had fired overnight at various locations around the nation.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in its daily update that the “Russian Federation (also) launched 16 missile strikes last night, in particular on the cities of Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odesa regions.” Additionally, it stated that 61 airstrikes and 52 attacks from heavy rocket salvo fire systems were launched on Ukrainian military and inhabited areas over the past day.
According to Kyiv Mayor Klitschko, at least five persons were injured in the capital as a result of damage to buildings and infrastructure.
Current Status of the Russia-Ukraine War
Russia’s Wagner mercenary group seems to have abandoned preparations to evacuate from Bakhmut, given that the Kremlin has promised additional arms. This implies that Wagner forces may continue their attack in the region, which Russia perceives as a stepping stone in the Donbas area.
According to the chief Ukrainian commander defending the besieged city, Russia has increased its shelling of Bakhmut to seize it by Tuesday. He has pledged to do all in his power to prevent this from happening.