A Ukrainian drone strike has caused a major fire at the largest oil depot in occupied Crimea, forcing local Russian officials to declare an emergency.
The Ukrainian military confirmed it struck the Feodosia facility overnight and said it was being used to produce oil products for the invading Russian army.
Several fuel tanks were engulfed in fire after people in Feodosia heard a series of loud explosions, reported the Baza Telegram channel, which claims to have sources in Russia’s security services.
Meanwhile, Russian opposition activist Ildar Dadin was killed fighting alongside Kyiv’s forces in Ukraine, officials and his family said.
His death was also reported by the Ukrainian group that recruited him, stating that “he was and he remains a hero”. Dadin was imprisoned by the Russian authorities in 2015 for organising peaceful solo protests against political repression.
The news of his death came as the Netherlands confirmed that it had sent a first batch of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The planes are already operating in Ukrainian airspace, Dutch defence minister Ruben Brekelmans said during a surprise visit to Kyiv.
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Ukraine repels Russian ‘Kinzhal’ missile strike on Kyiv during rush hour
Missile debris came down in three districts of the Ukrainian capital during rush hour on Monday morning after air defences engaged and repelled a Russian strike, city authorities said.
No major damage or casualties were reported from the attack in which Russia fired hypersonic Kinzhal missiles at Kyiv, Serhiy Popko, head of the city military administration, said, citing a preliminary assessment.
Debris damaged the roof of a multi-storey residential building in the Solomianskyi district in the city’s west and one piece of debris came down on the territory of a school, Popko’s administration said.
Russia shot down its own stealth drone over Donetsk
A Russian fighter jet has shot down its own first stealthy armed drone in combat over Ukraine’s Donetsk, reports said.
The rare Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik, renowned as the Russian air force’s first stealthy armed drone was shot down after it apparently malfunctioned in Chasiv Yar town in eastern Ukraine.
Justin Bronk, senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, called the incident a “stunningly embarrassing failure” for Russia.
Ukraine’s military says it struck Crimea oil terminal
The Ukrainian military said it struck an oil terminal in Russian-occupied Feodosia in Crimea overnight where a major explosion has been reported.
“The Feodosia terminal is the largest in Crimea in terms of transshipment of oil products, which were used, among other things, to meet the needs of the Russian occupation army,” Ukraine’s military said, claiming responsibility for the attack on the peninsula.
Russian fighter plane shot down over Donetsk is a Hunter S-70 combat drone, reports
Ukrainian forces said they shot down a Russian fighter plane near the city of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk province.
It has now emerged that it was a prototype of Russia’s Hunter S-70 combat drone, according to local Ukrainian media.
According to reports, the drone was shot down either due to a loss of control or deliberately after it malfunctioned during the test flight.
Justin Bronk, senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, called the incident a “stunningly embarrassing failure” for Russia.
Russia announces ‘technical’ emergency over Crimean city
Russian-appointed officials have announced a state of “technical” emergency has been introduced in Crimean’s Feodosia city this morning.
This comes within hours of a major explosion at an oil depot on the Crimean coast of the Black Sea. The authorities did not provide details on what had caused the fire.
Several fuel tanks were reported to be on fire in Feodosia after residents heard a series of loud explosions, reported the Baza Telegram news channel, which has sources among Russia’s security services.
The attack could likely be caused by a Ukrainian drone as Russia’s air defence units confirmed aerial activity over Crimea.
At least 21 Ukrainian drones were destroyed overnight, the Russian defence ministry said. Of these, 12 drones were destroyed over the Crimean Peninsula, six over the Kursk region and the rest over the Belgorod, Bryansk and Voronezh regions.
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Putin receives wishes for 72nd birthday: ‘God save the Tsar!’
“God save the Tsar!” was one of the first public birthday wishes for President Vladimir Putin who turns 72 today and who has been Russia’s paramount leader for nearly quarter of a century.
The greeting came from ultra-nationalist Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin on his Telegram channel minutes after midnight.
Mr Dugin, 62, has long advocated for the unification of Russian-speaking and other territories in a vast new Russian empire, which he wants to include Ukraine, where Russia has been waging a war. Mr Dugin’s daughter was killed in a suspected car bomb in 2022.
The Russian president was also wished by his close ally and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. “Today, friends, is the birthday of our national leader,” Mr Kadyrov, the leader of Russia’s Chechen Republic who calls himself Putin’s “foot soldier”, wrote in a congratulatory message on Telegram at midnight today.
“This is a significant day for our entire Fatherland.”
Fire breaks out at oil depot in Crimea
An oil depot is engulfed in a major fire after an explosion in Crimea’s Feodosia city, Russia-appointed officials in the peninsula said this morning.
Oleg Kryuchkov, advisor to the head of Crimea, said there were no casualties. Russian officials generally do not disclose the full extent of the damage suffered in strikes and explosions. He did not provide details on what had caused the massive explosion.
Unverified photos and videos of the fire in Crimea shared on social media showed a swathe of the oil depot ablaze. A thick cloud of smoke was billowing from the affected area and could be seen from kilometres away.
Source: independent.co.uk