In Russian-occupied Crimea on Tuesday, August 9, explosions occurred in the area of a military airfield near the city of Saki. According to eyewitness accounts cited by Ukrainian media, there were more than ten explosions. 20 km from Novofedorovka, “the windows shake and the alarms go off in the cars”.
As the head of the annexed Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, told the Interfax news agency, a five-kilometer cordon zone has been introduced. Ambulance teams and air ambulances are at the scene, one person died. About 30 people were evacuated from homes located near the site of the blasts near the resort village of Novofedorovka. According to Baza, local residents reported large numbers of ambulances heading towards Novofedorovka from Evpatoria. Later, peninsula “authorities” reported that nine people were injured in the blasts.
Russian versions: fire or detonation?
According to the first version, published by the local newspaper Krymskaya Pravda, “the cause of the explosions at the Novofedorovka air base was a fire during the loading of fuel. Later, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated that “several aviation munitions detonated in the confined storage area. No one was injured in the explosion. Aviation equipment at the airfield was not damaged.” The statement specifically noted that “there was no fire impact on the ammunition storage area at the airfield”.
So far, no comments have been received from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. Previously, the Armed Forces of Ukraine allowed the use of HIMARS MLRS for attacks against targets in Crimea.
The airfield is used for attacks on Ukraine
The military airfield “Saki” near the village of Novofedorovka is used as an air base by the RF Ministry of Defense. Aircraft and helicopters are based here, including naval aviation, writes the TASS agency. In addition, there is a ground test training complex for the practice of taking off and landing naval aircraft.
According to Ukrainian media, the airfield was repeatedly used by aircraft that attacked the territory of Ukraine.
Source: DW
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.