Ukrainian strikes hit Russian radar base in Crimea, commander killed
12:27 PM EDT, May 13, 2024
On Monday morning, Ukrainian missiles targeted a Russian radar base in the south of occupied Crimea, resulting in the death of its commander.
Around 12 a.m. ET on Monday, the independent Russian channel Astra reported on Telegram, citing sources in the local emergency services, that several Ukrainian missiles, likely Storm Shadow missiles, struck a Russian air defense base on Mount Aj-Petri.
The base, identified as number 85683, is home to the 3rd Radio Engineering Regiment of the Russian Federation's Armed Forces. The missile strike caused damage to several facilities and resulted in the death of the unit's commander, Aleksander Kulakov, along with one other soldier.
"There are also injured; the exact number is currently being determined," Astra posted.
The radar base on Mount Aj-Petri, established during Soviet times, was overtaken by the Russians by the Ukrainians in 2014. Its unique feature is that the radars are housed under domes, drawing tourist attention.
Strikes in the Lipetsk and Belgorod regions
Ukraine also conducted successful attacks overnight from Sunday to Monday elsewhere.
"Last night, SBU drones were active in the Lipetsk and Belgorod regions. Consequently, the Oskolneftesnabzhenie oil storage facilities near the town of Stary Oskol and the Eleckaya substation, with a capacity of 500 kV, were set ablaze," a source associated with the Ukrainian services told the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
According to the informant, Russian social networks reported a series of loud explosions near the oil depot in the Belgorod region, and the governor of the Lipetsk region confirmed a fire at the Eleckaya substation.
The source at the Interfax-Ukraine agency detailed that the Eleckaya substation supplies power to the Russian railways, the Stanova oil pumping station, and facilitates energy transit between the Lipetsk, Oryol, and Bryansk systems.
"The Russian industry, supporting the war against Ukraine, will remain a legitimate target for the SBU. Efforts to diminish the enemy’s military capability will persist," the agency's source declared.
On Monday morning, the Russian Ministry of Defense acknowledged that Ukrainian forces had attacked sites within Russia’s borders. They described the attacks as "terrorist attacks" carried out by the "Kyiv regime" using drone aircraft and Storm Shadow air missiles.
