Can you hear me? The invisible battles of Ukrainian military medics

Watch documentary now
Skip to content
Edit post

Ukraine reportedly strikes ferry crossing in occupied Crimea, boat in Krasnodar Krai, official says

by Dmytro Basmat August 16, 2024 4:36 AM  (Updated: ) 2 min read
A view taken on Oct. 12, 2022, shows the Kerch Bridge that links Russian-occupied Crimea to Russia, near Kerch, which was hit by a blast on Oct. 8, 2022. (Photo by Stringer/AFP via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

Preliminary reports indicate that Ukraine struck a ferry crossing in the city of Kerch in occupied Crimea overnight on Aug. 16, as well as a boat near the community of Chernomorsk in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, Serhii Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa Oblast Military Administration said.

No information was immediately available as to the extent of the damage. It was not immediately clear what boat was struck or whether it was a military target.

Explosions rang out across multiple cities in occupied Crimea overnight on Aug. 16, the Crimean Wind Telegram channel claimed, citing resident reports. A fire was reported near the city of Kerch, in the area of the Kerch ferry crossing.

A fire burns near the Kerch stele in occupied Crimea on Aug. 16, 2024 following a Ukrainian attack on the area. (Crimean Wind/Telegram)

Residents in Sevastopol, Simferopol, and Kerch heard explosions around 3:30 a.m. local time, according to local media reports.

Multiple explosions were also reported in the community of Chernomorsk in Russia's neighbouring region Krasnodar Krai around 4:30 a.m. local time.

The Kerch bridge, connecting occupied Crimea with mainland Russia, was reportedly closed to traffic around 2 a.m., local residents reported. The bridge reopened around 7 a.m. local time.

Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that five Ukrainian unmanned aerial drones and two unmanned naval drones were destroyed overnight in the Black Sea.

The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify any of the claims.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has regularly launched attacks on occupied Crimea as well as neighbouring Krasnodar Krai.

Kyiv's Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov warned on Aug. 2 that Ukraine is working on a "complex solution" that could destroy the Kerch Bridge in the coming months. Russia reportedly began fortifying the bridge last month.

Ukraine has regularly struck ferry crossings between occupied Crimea and Russia's Krasnodar Krai, prioritizing the crossing over the bridge in recent months as a more important military target.

Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine published on June 17 that destroying the Kerch Bridge now would not have the same effect now because Russia barely uses it for military purposes anymore.

The bridge accounts for less than a quarter of the total transiting cargo, and for the rest, Russia uses a ferry crossing in Kerch, Pletenchuk said.

US considering sending Ukraine first long-range cruise missiles this fall, source says
Discussions between Ukraine and U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration about supplies of long-range cruise missiles are “in the advanced stages,” a source close to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration told the Kyiv Independent.


News Feed

12:55 PM

Ukraine downs 161 of 287 Russian missiles, drones in mass aerial attack.

Moscow deployed four Kinzhal air-launched missiles, two Iskander-M ballistic missiles, one Kh-23 North Korean ballistic missile, 55 Kh-101 and Kh-55SM cruise missiles launched from Tu-95MS bomber planes, 24 sea-launched Kalibr missiles, seven Iskander-K cruise missiles, and one Kh-59/69 missile, the Air Force said.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.