Attack on occupied Crimea damages communications equipment, casualties reported

Editor’s note: This is a developing story and will be updated.

A missile attack on a Russian communications hub in the city of Alushta in occupied Crimea caused “significant damage to equipment” and reported numerous casualties, the pro-Ukrainian partisan group Atesh reported on May 24.

The Telegram channel “Crimean Wind” continues reported that a large military antenna was hit in the municipality of Semydvir’ya, just 3 kilometers east of Alushta. The antenna was already in use by the Ukrainian military before the Russian occupation of Crimea in 2014.

Atesh also reported that the attack may have destroyed the communications hub’s command center, but no information on the status of the military facility is available at this time.

Earlier, on May 23, Sergei Aksenov, the head of the Russian occupation authorities in Crimea, claimed that two passers-by were killed in the rocket attack on the Simferopol region.

Aksenov further claimed that the attack also caused damage to “vacant” commercial properties in the Alushta area.

The Kyiv Independent could not confirm the allegations and there is currently no information on the number of victims.

Ukraine has not commented on the alleged attack.

At the beginning of the attack, sounds of Explosions were reported in the late morning hours of May 23 from Sevastopol, Yevpatoria and Alushta in occupied Crimea, Suspilne Crimea reported.

Around 22:18 local time, Suspilne reported Explosions were heard in Yevpatoria. At 10:30 p.m., passenger traffic in Sevastopol was suspended. A video later appeared on the Internet that presumably shows an explosion in the Alushta district on the southern coast of Crimea. At least five explosions were reported in Alushta.

Within an hour the Telegram channel Krym Realii announced that residents heard three explosions near Belbek airfield in Sevastopol and the work of air defense from Novofedorivka. A total of eight explosions were heard.

The Telegram channel “Crimean Wind” reported At around 00:26 it was announced that a fire had broken out at a military site in the municipality of Semydvirya, about 4 kilometers east of Alushta. Rescue workers are currently on site.

According to Crimean Wind, residents of Sevastopol reported further explosion sounds at around 3 a.m.

The Ukrainian armed forces have several attacks against the Russian military airport Belbek in the occupied Crimea in recent weeks.

The Telegram channel Crimean Wind claimed that the Airfield was attacked late on May 15 and that a fuel depot caught fire, while the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that five US-supplied ATACMS Missiles were intercepted overnight by “air defense systems in service.”

Attacks on Belbek airfield were also reported. previous night, which allegedly led to fires near the military facility.

General Staff confirms attack on Russian missile ship “Ziklon” in occupied Crimea

The ship was reportedly hit in an attack that, according to the Ukrainian Navy, resulted in the destruction of the Russian minesweeper Kovrovets.