The Russian Navy on Wednesday “fended off” a drone strike on the port of Sevastopol on Moscow-annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula that claimed no casualties, the city’s governor said.
“The Black Sea Fleet repelled a surface drone attack on Sevastopol,” Russian-installed Governor Mikhail Razvojayev told Telegram.
“In total, three objects were destroyed,” he added, assuring that “the situation is under control.” He said there were no casualties or ships damaged, but the blasts shattered windows in nearby buildings.
“They tried to enter our bay, our sailors shot at them with handguns. Air defense worked too,” he added.
Sevastopol is the home port of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Since the start of the Moscow offensive against Ukraine in February 2022, Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, has repeatedly been the target of drone attacks.
This drone strike comes less than a week after a visit to Crimea by Russian President Vladimir Putin and a day after Kiev announced the destruction of Russian Kalibr cruise missiles while they were being transported in annexed Crimea, without confirming the involvement of the Ukrainian army.
In October, Russia’s Black Sea Fleet was hit by a major drone strike, for which the Kremlin blamed Ukraine.