The forces of the invaded country hit the main barracks of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on September 22, on the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014. The missile attack leaves at least one Russian soldier missing, according to the Kremlin. At the same time, kyiv launched a cyber attack in that province. Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Canada, which plans a new round of aid for kyiv.
Hard blow by the kyiv Army against the Russian troops that have occupied the province of Crimea, in southern Ukraine, since 2014.
Storm Shadow and Scalp cruise missiles, supplied by the United Kingdom and France to the forces of the invaded country, hit the Russian Navy headquarters in the Black Sea this Friday, September 22, which caught fire.
As a result, at least one Russian soldier is missing, according to a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense, which initially indicated that he had died. According to Russian authorities, There were no injuries or damage to civil infrastructure.
Video footage released by Ukrainian officials showed large columns of smoke billowing from the Russian barracks, while area residents said they heard loud explosions.
The operation against the Russian military installation, located in the port of Sevastopol, belonging to Crimea, was described by Ukrainian troops as a “success.” However, Kiev Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said that while the result is satisfactory, he hoped the attack would produce greater effects.
“To be honest, I wanted a bigger hole (…) This is the best advertising in the world for our weapons, which fly exactly towards the target. For some reason, for the umpteenth time, the Russian air defense cannot cope. We will continue,” Ignat stressed on local television.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that a Ukrainian missile strike on Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea damaged the building of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet headquarters.
The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces has not yet commented on the attack. https://t.co/25JZu8DsWO
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) September 22, 2023
The attack was carried out with the help of “Russian residents of Crimea” who provided information to kyiv, the Ukrainian official added.
“This is not just a blow to the heart of the naval forces of the Black Sea Fleet, it is a blow to Putin’s dictatorship. Everyone will see it. This cannot be hidden,” said Ignat.
For its part, Moscow noted that its country’s air defense systems shot down five missiles during the assault.
The governor of Sevastopol – imposed by Russia – Mikhail Razvozhayev, confirmed that the attack caused a fire and urged the population to avoid going to the city center, where the Navy building is located, while firefighters moved to the scene and Some roads in the vicinity were closed.
kyiv launches ‘unprecedented’ cyber attack in Crimea
kyiv counterattacks from different fronts. Crimea was also the target of a major cyber attack on September 22.
Oleg Kryuchkov, assistant to the head of the Moscow-installed government in the province, Sergei Aksyonov, confirmed that Internet service providers were under an “unprecedented cyber attack”, which caused interruptions in service.
The forces of the nation attacked by Russia for almost 19 months have intensified attacks in the Black Sea and specifically against the occupied province of Crimea, in the midst of their counteroffensive against Russian troops.
The progress in this operation, launched almost four months ago, has been considered insufficient by some political leaders in countries such as Poland and the United States, who are calling for an end to military aid to the invaded nation, despite the fact that it faces one of the greatest military powers in the world.
Although this Friday’s attack is notable, it is not the only recent one by kyiv against Moscow’s troops in the area. The Institute for the Study of War said satellite images this week showed that Ukrainian strikes have significantly damaged a communications command center in Verkhnosadove, outside Sevastopol.
Two days earlier, Ukraine said it had reclaimed strategic oil and gas drilling platforms in the Black Sea, which Russia had seized in 2015. Moscow had used those facilities for electronic warfare equipment and launching helicopters. kyiv said that gaining control of them would help it recover Crimea.
However, the siege by Russian troops is incessant. On Thursday, Russian missiles and artillery bombed several Ukrainian cities, leaving at least five people dead.
Zelensky addresses Canadian Parliament; Ottawa would announce new military aid
This Friday’s assault is seen as a show of force by Kiev against the Russian Army, with equipment supplied by Western allies, just at a time when President Volodymyr Zelensky is in North America advocating for more aid in weapons.
After meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Zelensky heads to Parliament this Friday. Ottawa is one of the strongest supporters of supporting Kiev and during this visit the Government is expected to announce the shipment of more weapons to Ukraine, according to an official from the Trudeau Administration, cited by Reuters.
This is “an opportunity for Canadians to express directly to Volodymyr and, through him, to the Ukrainian people how firmly and unequivocally we support Ukraine,” Trudeau said Friday.
The foreseeable new assistance from Canada would arrive after a day before Zelensky met with the president of the United States, Joe Biden, who announced a new aid package for $325 million.
Furthermore, in the last few hours an ‘NBC News’ report, which cited four government officials, revealed that Biden assured Zelensky that Washington will provide kyiv with ATACMS long-range missiles.
These are the type of projectiles that can be decisive for Ukraine. For them he has urged for months to interrupt supply lines, air bases and railway networks in the territories of his country occupied by Kremlin troops.
However, the White House has not confirmed the information about that class of missiles.
With Reuters, AP and local media
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