At least one missile launched by Ukraine hit Russia's Black Sea Fleet headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol on Friday, Moscow's governor and defence ministry said, reporting that air defense systems shot down five missiles during the attack that left one soldier missing.
The Russian-appointed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhiev, said that while no further attacks were expected, residents were urged to avoid the city center where the navy's headquarters are located. Fire crews are on the scene and several roads have been closed, he said. He added that there were no civilian casualties and no damage to civilian infrastructure. At the same time, Oleg Kryuchkov, an aide to the governor of Crimea, said internet providers on the peninsula were under an "unprecedented cyberattack" that led to service interruptions.
The Ukrainian military confirmed that it had attacked the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, but gave few details about the operation. "On September 22, close to 12:00 noon, the Ukrainian Defence Forces successfully attacked the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in temporarily occupied Sevastopol," the military said in a statement posted on Telegram.
The headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Crimea after a Ukrainian attack, September 22, 2023/Screenshot, Telegram
Ukraine has recently stepped up its attacks in the Black Sea and Crimea, which was captured and annexed by Russia in 2014, as the counteroffensive in the south and east of the country has lasted nearly four months. Ukrainian officials said attacks on Russian military targets in Moscow-controlled territory were legitimate.
Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine's Security Council, said there were two options for the future of Russia's Black Sea fleet - "self-neutralization" voluntarily or coercively. He said that if Russia did not choose to voluntarily dismantle its navy, it would be "cut like salami."
Mykhailo Podolyak, one of the Ukrainian president's advisers, said Crimea "will definitely be demilitarized and liberated." Moscow, for its part, sees Crimea as a red line and declares that it will never give it up.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his speech to the United Nations General Assembly, September 19, 2023/Reuters
The attack on Crimea came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Canada, where he continued after a visit to the United States that included attempts to persuade skeptical members of Congress about continued aid to his country.
According to NBC, President Joe Biden informed Zelensky that Washington would supply Kyiv with long-range ATACMS missiles, which it had long requested. The missiles, which have a range of more than 300 kilometers, could help it hit supply lines, air bases and rail networks in Russian-occupied territories.
However, the White House and Pentagon have refused to confirm this publicly, even though Washington has announced a new aid package for Ukraine totaling $325 million.
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