The Russian proxy leader in Sevastopol in occupied Crimea, Mikhail Razvozhayev, claimed on the evening of March 23 that "10 missiles were shot down" over the city during an ongoing attack.
The announcement came amid claims on Telegram channels about explosions and rising smoke in Sevastopol.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims. Ukrainian officials usually do not comment on alleged attacks in occupied Crimea.
Razvozhayev said at 10:40 p.m. Kyiv time that the attack was still ongoing and urged residents to stay in shelters. He claimed that a small boy and a woman suffered shrapnel wounds as a result of the attack.
"Debris also fell on Industrialna Street (in the Leninsky district). A car and grass caught on fire," the city's proxy head said on his Telegram channel. Razvozhayev alleged that an office building, a five-story building, gas pipes, a roadway, and houses were damaged in the city.
The Crimean Wind Telegram channel published multiple videos and photos capturing projectiles, explosions, and smoke rising above the city.
Razvozhayev claimed that the smoke is Russia's military "standard means of camouflage."
According to Crimean Wind, explosions were heard also in the Balaklava district, and a fire was reported near an airport in Simferopol. The channel said that the supposed attack in Sevastopol is ongoing as of 10:45 p.m.
In recent months, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on occupied Crimea, targeting Russian military assets in and around the Black Sea. Russia has illegally occupied the peninsula since 2014 after the EuroMaidan Revolution ousted pro-Kremlin President Viktor Yanukovych.
Oleg Sukhov
(Updated: )
