The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Oct. 24 that its forces had destroyed three Ukrainian marine drones in the northern part of the Black Sea overnight. Kyiv hasn't commented on the allegation.
Earlier, Mikhail Razvozhaev, the head of Sevastopol's illegal Russian occupation government, said Russia's Black Sea Fleet was repelling "a possible attack by enemy submarine sabotage forces."
Several explosions were heard in Sevastopol in occupied Crimea at around 3:35 a.m. local time, according to several Telegram channels.
Explosions have been occurring regularly in Russian-annexed Crimea. The Russian Defense Ministry alleges that these explosions are the result of Ukrainian attacks.
Starting in the summer of 2023, there have been a series of increasingly destructive attacks on Russian military facilities in occupied Crimea.
One of the most significant incidents happened on Sept. 22 when a strike targeted the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol. This strike reportedly utilized long-range Storm Shadow missiles and resulted in the deaths of 34 Russian officers.
In response to these repeated attacks in recent months, Russia's Black Sea Fleet has intensified its defensive and reactive measures, according to a report by the UK Defense Ministry on Oct. 14.