Sevastopol under fire: Russian reports blame Ukraine for deadly attack
During a Sunday attack on Sevastopol in Crimea, which is occupied by Russia, five people were killed, and 150 were injured, including 23 children, according to Russian media reports. Russia accuses Ukraine of the attack.
11:56 AM EDT, June 24, 2024
The Ria Novosti agency, citing Alexei Kuznetsov, an advisor to the head of the Russian Ministry of Health, reported that "as a result of the Ukrainian shelling of Sevastopol, 150 people were injured, including 27 children."
Further information provided by the agency on Telegram states that "the number of those killed after the attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Sevastopol has risen to five, among them two children."
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Kremlin-appointed governor of Sevastopol, claimed that "fragments of downed targets fell in the coastal zone." According to him, the attack affected people relaxing in the Uchkuyevka and Lyubymivka districts.
The Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement claiming that five American ATACMS missiles were used in the attack on Sevastopol. Four of them were intercepted by air defense.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also stated that American specialists input the flight data of ATACMS missiles based on their satellite intelligence, which, according to their accusations, means that the United States is also responsible for the attack on Sevastopol.
However, crucially, a Russian air defense fighter-interceptor strike caused one of the missiles to veer off course and explode.
Main base of the Russian fleet in Sevastopol
Sevastopol, located in the western part of the Crimean Peninsula, is the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. On Sunday, local occupation authorities reported the downing of five Ukrainian missiles, whose fragments fell on beaches in the Uchkuyevka and Lyubymivka districts.
Crimea, a territory belonging to Ukraine, was annexed by Russia in March 2014 as a result of military intervention and an illegal referendum. Ukraine and the West consider these actions by the Kremlin violating international law.
