A drone strike targeted the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol on the annexed peninsula of Crimea on Saturday, August 20, without causing injuries, Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvojayev announced.
“The drone was shot down just above the fleet headquarters, it fell on the roof and caught fire,” he wrote on Telegram. The incident “did not cause any serious damage” or injuries, the governor said, blaming Ukrainian forces for the attack.
This is the second drone strike in less than a month targeting the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol. On July 31, a drone landed in the courtyard of the Fleet Headquarters, injuring five of its employees and causing the cancellation of celebrations scheduled for that day to mark Russian Fleet Day. Ukraine, which Russia has accused of being behind the attack, has denied involvement, calling the accusations a “provocation”.
This new attack comes as explosions and attacks on Russian military infrastructure in Crimea mount. Russian forces shot down a drone near a military airfield in Sevastopol on Thursday evening. Explosions occurred at a military base and ammunition depot in Crimea on Tuesday, which Russia described as an “act of sabotage”. In early August, a military aviation munitions explosion near the Saki airbase in Crimea left one dead and several injured.
In addition, the anti-aircraft system was activated on Saturday in Evpatoria in western Crimea, as announced by the governor of the peninsula Sergey Aksionov. The incident “did not cause any damage or injury,” he assured on Telegram.