Fires and explosions have been reported at military targets inside Russia and Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, in the latest in a series of apparent sabotage missions deep into Russian-controlled territory.
Two Russian villages were evacuated after a fire at an ammunition depot near the border with Ukraine in Belgorod province. “An ammunition depot caught fire near the village of Timonovo,” less than 50 kilometers from the border, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a statement, adding that no casualties were reported.
At least four explosions occurred near the main Belbek air base, north of Sevastopol, on the occupied Crimean peninsula. The pro-Russian governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said: “There is no damage. No one was injured.”
Air defenses were also activated near Kerch, the city at the Crimean end of a bridge to mainland Russia, which is a strategically vital supply route that many in Ukraine would like to see destroyed. Local media said a Ukrainian drone was shot down.
Ukraine’s defense ministry posted a tongue-in-cheek tweet after images of the fires in Timonovo circulated, with the short message “smoking kills!”. Officials have previously joked that explosions and fires at military targets in occupied Crimea were caused by “careless smokers”.
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Thursday’s overnight incidents came shortly after devastating explosions at a major airbase and ammunition depot in Crimea. After those attacks, many Russians raced to leave the peninsula, with a record 38,000 cars crossing on Tuesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that panicked Russians have realized that Crimea is “not a place for them” and hinted that more attacks were ahead.
He urged Ukrainians to stay away from enemy command posts and logistics bases. “Do not approach military objects of the Russian army,” he said.
Crimea is a key hub for the Russian invasion and the UK Ministry of Defense said Russian military leaders were likely to be “increasingly concerned” by the escalating setbacks there, although Moscow has dismissed them as to local “sabotage”.
Six suspected Islamist extremists were arrested on Wednesday, according to Moscow-appointed head of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov. It was not clear what connection, if any, those arrested had to the recent attacks.