Ukraine Says Hit Russian Air Defence System In Crimea

Kyiv, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Oct, 2023) Ukraine's army said Monday it had overnight "successfully hit" part of Russia's air defence system located in annexed Crimea.

Kyiv has increased attacks on the Black Sea peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014, since it launched a counteroffensive against Russian forces earlier this summer.

"The Armed Forces successfully hit a strategic object of the air defence system on the western coast of occupied Crimea," the army's strategic communications unit said on social media.

It gave no further details and Russia gave no official comment.

But the influential Rybar Telegram channel -- which is close to the Russian army -- also reported a "combined attack" by Kyiv on Crimea.

It alleged Ukraine had launched two US ATACMS missiles which fell near the village of Olenivka, on the western coast of Crimea.

Rybar said Russian forces were not able to down the missiles "but thanks to measures taken earlier there was no serious damage."

The social media account alleged that "half an hour later" Black Sea Fleet sailors found three Ukrainian naval drones near Sevastopol.

Rybar said one of them was "destroyed", while another two tried to enter the Bay of Khersones before being shot at and sunk by Russian forces.

Ukraine has regularly targeted Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Crimea.

In September, Kyiv said it had hit a symbolic army headquarters in Sevastopol.