Zelensky confirms Ukraine struck Russian military airfield in occupied Crimea
Ukrainian forces carried out an attack early on April 17 against a Russian military airfield in Dzhankoi in occupied Crimea, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address.
Zelensky thanked the Armed Forces and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi for the operation but did not elaborate on the consequences.
Explosions were reported near the airfield in the early hours of Apil 17, with local Telegram channels publishing footage of a large-scale fire. Later during the day, the partisan group Atesh claimed that the attack hit a Russian S-400 air defense system and a military command post.
"We confirm successful strikes carried out overnight on the territory of the Dzhankoi airfield," Atesh said, citing their agents in the Russian military.
A launcher of the S-400 battery reportedly exploded as a result of the attack, damaging the rest of the system, the group said. Russian forces allegedly positioned the launcher right next to ammunition warehouses.
A hit was also reported in the command post of a unit of the 18th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment of the 31st Air Defense Division, Atesh claimed.
The Crimean Telegram channel alleged that the strikes damaged three S-400 launchers, one S-400 radar system, two S-300 launchers, and a missile warehouse. The channel also published a photo of a wreckage of what it claims is a hit S-300 launcher.
The claims could not be independently verified.
The Kyiv Independent has reached out to Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) for comments but the agencies' representatives said they could not provide any information at the current time.
Chris York
