Series of Explosions Rock Crimea Amid Ukraine Conflict; Evacuations Underway
4:44 PM EDT, March 25, 2024
Over 20 explosions occurred in Crimea, which is under Russian control, early Sunday morning, according to reports from Censor.Net. A refinery near Hwardijske, approximately 14 miles north of Simferopol, caught fire. "Evacuation of nearby residents is underway," RBK-Ukraine reports. This marks yet another assault on the peninsula in recent hours.
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This incident is the second attack on the peninsula within just a few hours. On Saturday evening, Ukraine launched a significant missile strike on Sevastopol, which is also under occupation.
The attack resulted in one fatality and four injuries. According to OSINTtechnical, at least three Ukrainian missiles struck the primary communication center of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
Attack on a Crimea oil depot
The subsequent attack took place around 10 pm Eastern Time, leading to the temporary closure of the Crimean Bridge, as reported by its press service. Shortly after, the Crimean Department of Transport announced a temporary suspension of passenger maritime transport.
The "Crimean Wind" channel revealed that a drone attack targeted the oil depot in Hwardijske, Simferopol region, in the Russian-occupied Crimea.
Following the incident, authorities commenced the evacuation of nearby residents, as reported by the RBK-Ukraine portal.
The assault on the oil depot coincided with a widespread Russian air raid on Ukraine, in which dozens of missiles were launched by 14 Tu-95 strategic bombers. The Lviv region faced up to 20 missile attacks, with air defense systems managing to intercept 10 missiles over Kyiv.
In response to the attack, the Operational Command of the Armed Forces announced the activation of Polish and allied aircraft.
