Residents report airstrike and explosions in occupied Crimea
Photo: Russian troops in occupied Sevastopol (Getty Images)
In the early hours of August 9, explosions were reported in the Saky and Chornomorske districts in temporarily occupied Crimea, allegedly due to a drone attack and the activation of air defense systems. The Russian occupiers also claim to have intercepted a missile, according to the Crimean Telegram channels and the representative of the occupation administration in Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhaev.
Propaganda media outlets had reported a threat of drone strikes on Russian-occupied Ukrainian Crimea as early as 00:40. Later, the occupation administration announced an air raid alert in Crimea, initially due to drones and subsequently because of a missile threat.
Reports also emerged of Russian occupiers activating air defense systems.
According to the Telegram channel ChP/Saky, explosions were heard in the Saky district, with an alleged drone shot down over the sea.
Later, the Russian gauleiter of Sevastopol Razvozhaev claimed that Russian forces had "repelled a Ukrainian Armed Forces attack." He also mentioned a supposed missile strike and air defense activity.
"Preliminary information suggests that an anti-ship missile, Neptune, was shot down over the waters, at a significant distance from the shore," Razvozhaev wrote on Telegram.
He added that there was still a threat of a drone attack, though, by around 1:50 AM, he declared the air raid alert over.
Meanwhile, Crimean Wind Telegram channel reported gunfire and a "loud explosion" in Chornomorske.
Later, another explosion was reported in Chornomorske, with locals saying that "something was hit during the first explosion."
The same channel later reported that explosions were also heard in the village of Krasnosilske, near Chornomorske.
Another strong explosion was reported in the Pionersky district near occupied Simferopol.
Around 3:45 AM, there were reports of explosions between Saky and Kacha, and later about "booms" in Sevastopol.
Razvozhaev claimed on Telegram that the air defense forces had supposedly repelled an attack by maritime drones, destroying two such surface drones.
Additionally, there were reports of a plume of smoke spotted above the Belbek airfield. According to the Crimean Wind, locals described a "strong smell of burning" in the coastal area of the city.
Earlier, on the night of August 2, reports emerged of explosions in Sevastopol, Balaklava, Saky, Yevpatoria, and Simferopol. Later, the Ukrainian Armed Forces stated that on that night, four Russian S-400 systems were destroyed in Crimea, and the submarine Rostov-on-Don was sunk.
