Ukraine claims that what it describes as “high-ranking Russian naval commanders” were killed or injured in the attack on the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea. Agence France-Presse reports.
The message about the attack on Crimea came on Friday afternoon. Local Russian authorities were the first to comment on the incident. A few hours later, the Ukrainian military came out and confirmed that they had “successfully struck the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea.”
It must have happened during a management meeting
According to Agence France-Presse, the Ukrainian army claims that dozens have lost their lives.
Details of the attack will be published as soon as possible, and the result is dozens of dead and wounded occupiers, including “senior naval commanders,” the Ukrainian military is said to have said.
They add that the attack must have occurred during a meeting between the Russian Navy leadership.
This information has not been verified by independent sources.
The Russian Defense Ministry had already come out on Friday and said that one official was missing after the attack.
The photo shows the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea on Friday afternoon.
Image: gray area
The pinnacle of intelligence in an exclusive interview
A total of nine people were killed and 16 others were injured, Kirilo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, told the US-controlled Voice of America radio channel.
Budanov claims in the exclusive interview that both Colonel-General Oleksandr Romanchuk, commander of Russian forces in Zaporizhia, are in critical condition and that Lieutenant General and Chief of Staff Oleg Tsikov are said to be unconscious.
The intelligence chief confirms that the list of dead and wounded available to him includes only employees at the headquarters, and not other military personnel.
What Budanov did not comment on were the rumors that the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Viktor Sokolov, had died.
On a number of social media channels, several Ukrainian military sources claimed that Sokolov was killed during the attack on Friday, but the information has not been confirmed by independent sources.
Warns of new attacks
On Saturday, the Russian-appointed governor of Sevastopol in Crimea, Mikhail Razvozjayev, came out and warned of a new attack from Ukraine.
– attention! Missile danger! Close windows properly and stay away from them,” Razvozgeev wrote on Telegram, adding that residents should stay away from cars and public transportation.
Russian authorities announced shortly thereafter that several explosions occurred at the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on Saturday morning.
Razvozgiev claims that several attacks and explosions occurred in the northern Sevastopol area. According to the DPA news agency, this may have been due to a fire in an ammunition depot, NTB wrote. It has not yet been confirmed whether there were new attacks on Saturday.
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