Russia claims Ukrainian Neptune missile destroyed over occupied Crimea
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The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its forces shot down a Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missile near the Crimean coast late on Oct. 3. Kyiv hasn’t commented on the allegation.
The missile was purportedly destroyed over the northwestern part of the Black Sea at around 8:30 p.m. Moscow time, according to the ministry.
Meanwhile, Mikhail Razvozhaev, the head of Sevastopol's illegal Russian occupation government, claimed a drone was downed over the occupied Crimean city. Drone debris allegedly fell on a residential building near the Sevastopol Bay, which hosts Russia’s Black Sea fleet, Razvozhaev said on Telegram.
No casualties have been reported in Sevastopol, but the drone remains shattered windows in some apartments, according to Razvozhaev.
These claims couldn’t be independently verified.
Neptune is Ukraine’s ground-launched, domestically produced anti-ship rocket with a maximum range of 300 kilometers.
Ukrainian forces reportedly used Neptune missiles to destroy a Russian S-400 Triumph air defense system on Sept. 14 and sink Russia’s Black Sea flagship Moskva in April last year.
Ukraine's military has recently increased its strikes on Russian military sites in occupied Crimea – however, the attacks usually aren't recognized officially. Media attribute them to Ukrainian troops based on confirmations from anonymous insider sources.
On Sept. 22, a Ukrainian missile strike on Sevastopol damaged the building of Russia's Black Sea Fleet headquarters.
