Status: 08/16/2022 5:25 p.m
Once again there have been explosions in a military facility in Crimea. Nobody took responsibility, Moscow speaks of an “act of sabotage”. The peninsula is of great importance for both Russia and Ukraine.
Explosions, dense smoke and fire – another incident in Crimea caused a stir, the cause of which is unclear. A military camp in Maiskoye, in the north of the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia, was affected. The Russian Defense Ministry spoke of an “act of sabotage” but did not accuse anyone. As a result, a power plant, power lines, railway tracks and some residential buildings were damaged. So there were no serious injuries.
The regional administration of Crimea reported two injured, several thousand people had been brought to safety. The train service was also interrupted.
Paul Pietraß, WDR currently Kyiv, on the explosions in Crimea
Tagesschau 3:00 p.m., 16.8.2022
Satisfaction in Kyiv
The assumption is that Ukraine is behind the incident. However, the government did not officially confirm this. Nevertheless, the news was greeted with satisfaction in Kyiv. The head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, wrote on Telegram about a “masterstroke of the Ukrainian armed forces”. Crimea is part of Ukraine.
Presidential Advisor Maykhailo Podoliak tweeted, “Reminder: Crimea of a normal country means Black Sea, mountains, recreation and tourism; Russian-occupied Crimea means depot explosions and a high risk of death for the invaders and thieves.” “Demilitarization” is “in progress,” he wrote, alluding to one of Moscow’s official war goals, according to which Ukraine is to be demilitarized.
Shaded in white: advance of the Russian army. Shaded in green: Russian-backed separatist areas. Crimea: annexed by Russia.
Image: ISW/08/15/2022
Memory of explosion at military airport
Only a week ago, there were explosions at a military airport in Saki in southwestern Crimea – Ukrainian officials did not speak of a Ukrainian attack here either. The Russian government spread the assessment that a violation of fire safety rules was the most likely cause of the explosion.
Popular with Russian tourists, Crimea is of great symbolic and strategic importance for both sides. Russia annexed it in 2014 – the Kremlin demands that Ukraine recognize the peninsula as part of Russia. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the other hand, declared that he wanted to expel Russia from Crimea and all other occupied territories.
“Sabotage” also in the Russian region of Kursk
In addition to the events in Crimea, Moscow today reported acts of sabotage on its own territory. In the past two weeks, “Ukrainian sabotage groups” have detonated explosive devices on a total of six electricity pylons in the Kursk region, the Russian domestic secret service FSB said, according to the Interfax agency. As a result, “a disruption in the technological operating process” occurred at the Kursk nuclear power plant. A search is being made for those responsible.
conflicting parties as a source
Information on the course of the war, shelling and casualties provided by official bodies of the Russian and Ukrainian conflict parties cannot be directly checked by an independent body in the current situation.
More explosions in Crimea
Christina Nagel, ARD Moscow, 16.8.2022 10:38 a.m