Ukraine missile strike hits Russia’s key navy base in Sevastopol, Crimea, Russian official says

Moscow — The Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, the most important metropolis in Ukraine‘s Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula, mentioned Friday that the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet had been struck in a Ukrainian missile assault. Russia’s Ministry of Defense later confirmed the strike and mentioned one service member was lacking. 

State media mentioned Russia’s air protection methods shot down 10 missiles headed for Crimea, however that the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol was hit by French-made Storm Shadow missiles.

“Work continues to extinguish the fire at the fleet headquarters,” Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhayev mentioned in a publish on the Telegram messaging app. “According to preliminary information, the civilian infrastructure around the fleet headquarters was not damaged. The people who were on the street at the time of the impact were also not injured.”

He mentioned he had instructed “an operational headquarters” to be deployed on the scene, however that the scenario was below management. There was no fast affirmation of the extent of the injury to the Black Sea Fleet’s workplaces, however the state-run TASS information company mentioned earlier that not less than six folks had been injured in the strike. Video posted on social media reveals smoke billowing from the fleet’s headquarters.

Razvozhayev earlier warned residents through his Telegram account that “another attack is possible.” He later dropped that warning, however urged residents to proceed avoiding central Sevastopol.

The obvious missile strike took place 10 days after a Ukrainian assault on a strategic shipyard in Sevastopol broken two Russian navy ships that had been present process repairs and triggered a fireplace on the facility, in line with Russian authorities. That assault got here as Moscow launched drones at southern Ukraine’s Odesa area.

Ukraine did not instantly declare duty for the Friday assault on Sevastopol, which got here a day after Ukrainian officers mentioned a barrage of Russian missiles had struck a half dozen cities, killing not less than two folks and damaging electrical energy infrastructure in a number of areas.

The newest trade of fireside got here on the heels of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visiting Washington to hunt continued assist for his nation’s effort to defend itself from the Russian invasion. Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress have questioned how, and the way rather more navy and humanitarian help to ship to Ukraine as President Biden seeks an extra $24 billion in help.

Ratification of Mr. Biden’s request is deeply unsure due to the rising partisan divide in Washington.