A Russian-installed official said a Russian ammunition depot was hit during a Ukrainian drone attack on Dzhankoi in Crimea early on Monday, with Russian air defense forces shooting down or electronically jamming 11 drones over the area. Sergei Aksyonov, the Moscow-installed governor of the Crimean Peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, also said a residential building was damaged in the area. No casualties were reported. Traffic on the railroads and roads in parts of Crimea has been suspended for safety reasons, Aksyonov said.
Ukrainian military officials disputed the Russian claims. “The Ukrainian armed forces destroyed the munitions at the target and seized the launch site,” a statement from Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command said, referring to the Dzhankoi region in southwestern Crimea. The official statement said the strikes were carried out by “Iranian-made Shahed drones” and lasted four hours.
Russian authorities alleged that Ukraine had launched drone attacks on Moscow. They did not specify any targets, but they said the drones struck two nonresidential buildings and were “suppressed” by defenses in central Moscow.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy addressed the matter at a security conference in Aspen, Colorado. He said the goal of his country is to return Crimea to Ukraine. He added that Kyiv considers the Crimean Bridge, which connects the peninsula to Russia, a legitimate target and wants it to be “neutralized.”
Road traffic across the bridge was briefly halted on Tuesday after Ukraine launched an attack that caused an explosion. The blast destroyed part of the bridge, which is also called the Kerch Bridge. It came five days after Russia canceled a wartime deal that allowed Ukraine to export its grain to Russian markets safely.
On Sunday, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that the country had used US-supplied cluster munitions in the conflict with pro-Russia separatists. He says he will share a report on using those weapons with the Pentagon this week.
The US military aid package for Ukraine that is expected to be announced this week will include additional munitions for drones, a US defense official told CNN. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter is sensitive. The munitions are not to be used inside Russia, the official said. The official added that the United States has clarified to Kyiv that it will continue to support its efforts to defend itself. The official added that the drone munitions would not affect the overall aid that the United States provides to Ukraine. That will remain at $300 million. The money is primarily for defensive equipment and other military assistance. The White House and Congress have already approved it. It will help fund projects that include securing and upgrading border control facilities. It will also help train Ukrainian officers. The money is intended to boost the country’s ability to respond quickly to provocations. It will also support Ukraine’s efforts to strengthen its air force and coastal guard.
