The Russian army evokes an “act of sabotage”, while kyiv salutes an “operation of” demilitarization “by the Ukrainian armed forces” in this peninsula annexed by Russia.
Le Monde with AFP
A week earlier, an explosion had occurred in an ammunition deposit in Crimea as well. A fire that caused the explosion of an ammunition depot hit, on Tuesday, August 16, around 3 am (5 am, in Paris), a military base, located in the Djankoi district north of the peninsula annexed by Russia announced the Russian Ministry of Defense. The region had however been spared the war in Ukraine so far, he added, before specifying: “Following the fire, a detonation of the ammunition occurred.”
According to the leader of the “Crimean Republic”, Sergei Akionov, who went to the scene, two civilians were injured, and the evacuation of the inhabitants of a neighboring village was underway. M. AKISSIONOV also said that rail traffic has been interrupted . According to an advisor to the Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior, Anton Gerashchenko, Moscow used these lines to transport military equipment to the south of Ukraine , in particular to the region of Zaporijia.
” Sabotage act “
A few hours after the explosion, the Russian army ultimately denounced an “sabotage act” without appointing manager. “Civil infrastructure, including a high voltage line, a power plant, a railway, as well as several houses have also been damaged,” detailed the Russian army.
By reacting to these explosions, Andriï Iermak, the head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, praised on Telegram an “operation of” demilitarization “[worthy of a] work of goldsmith by the Ukrainian armed forces”, which will continue, according to him, “until the complete liberation of the Ukrainian territories”.
According to a Ukrainian official quoted by New York Times , under the cover of anonymity, a military unit of Ukrainian elite operating behind the enemy lines is at the origin of the explosion.
This incident comes a week after an explosion of ammunition intended for military aviation in a deposit located on the territory of the Saki military aerodrome, in the west of Crimea. These explosions had killed one and several injured.
Crimea, a Ukraine peninsula annexed in 2014 by Moscow, has been at the forefront of the military offensive that Russia has been carrying out against its Ukrainian neighbor since February 24.
Russian planes take off almost daily from Crimea to hit targets in regions under kyiv’s control and several areas of this peninsula are located within the radius of action of Ukrainian cannons and drones.
Despite the conflict, Crimea has remained an important resort for many Russians who continue to enjoy summer on its beaches.
“Crimea in a normal country is the Black Sea, the mountains, recess and tourism. But the Crimea occupied by the Russians, these are explosions of ammunition deposits and a high risk of death For invaders and thieves, “launched on Twitter / A> The Ukrainian Presidency Councilor Mikhaïlo Podoliak.