politics
Ukrainian Forces Strike Crimea Air Defenses and Airfields
Ukrainian strikes hit air defense systems and aircraft hangars in Crimea. Officials reported damage to S-400 and Pantsir systems plus four hangars at Saky airfield. Fuel shortages followed the attacks.
The IndependentAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Ukrainian forces struck air defense systems and military airfields in Crimea on Wednesday. The Security Service of Ukraine said the attacks hit four aircraft hangars at the Saky airfield. Two components of an S-400 anti-aircraft missile system near Kerch and two Pantsir-S1 systems were also destroyed.
Ukrainian officials stated the attacks target logistics links to the Russian-occupied peninsula. A defense official said Crimea would soon turn into an island as transport connections are severed. The strikes have contributed to fuel shortages in Crimea, with long queues reported at petrol stations and limited supply.
Zelenskyy said he instructed intelligence services and military units to act pre-emptively against Russian facilities used to expand the war effort. Ukrainian drones recently damaged the Moscow oil refinery. Industry sources said the facility will remain offline for at least six months.
Russia is considering a diesel export ban and possible fuel imports to address shortages, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said at a government meeting.
Zelenskyy met with Rutte and leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom this week to discuss air defenses. Rutte told the group that Ukraine can count on continued support to strengthen its position at the negotiating table and deter future aggression.
