Russia claimed on Saturday to have fired four Ukrainian missiles into annexed Crimea, as deadly attacks on both sides increased since late December.
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“Air defense intercepted and destroyed four Ukrainian missiles over the Crimean peninsula,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
For its part, Kiev claimed to have attacked the Saki air base in the west of the peninsula.
“Saki Airfield! “All targets were hit,” Ukrainian Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on social media.
Russia had already claimed on Thursday that it had repelled an attack by 10 Ukrainian missiles on Crimea, an important area for the logistics of Russian forces occupying part of southern Ukraine. One person was injured by the debris from this attack.
Russian occupation authorities in the eastern Donetsk region said two people were killed in a Ukrainian shelling on Saturday, a day before Moscow celebrated Orthodox Christmas.
“Two people were killed in Makiivka and Horlivka,” two Moscow-controlled industrial cities in eastern Ukraine, Donetsk region chief Denis Pushilin said on Telegram.
Strikes on both sides have increased in recent days, even though the conflict has been going on for almost two years.
AFP
Russia has massively bombed Ukrainian cities twice since the end of December: Friday, December 29 (55 dead) and Tuesday (six dead).
For its part, Ukraine has repeatedly attacked the Russian city of Belgorod, 50 km from the border, particularly during an unprecedented attack on Saturday December 30 that left 25 people dead.
Russia announced on Saturday that it would cancel Orthodox Christmas masses in the city of Belgorod.
The day before, authorities in the Belgorod region had offered to evacuate residents worried about the increase in attacks.
This measure, unprecedented for a major city in Russia, contradicts the Kremlin, which has always given the impression that the conflict does not directly affect the daily lives and security of Russians.
Russia celebrates Orthodox Christmas on January 7th and midnight masses are celebrated on the night of January 6th