As black smoke billowed from the air base on the Crimean peninsula on Tuesday, people on the beach scrambled to get to safety. The airbase is located on the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula. What actually caused the explosions at the Sakhi air base is still not known, but satellite images from Planet Labs now show extensive damage. Russia has stated that the explosions were due to an accident, but according to Western analysts, this is unlikely. People on the beach braced themselves when it rained in the coastal town of Novofedorovka on Tuesday. Photo: AP If it turns out to be a Ukrainian attack that hit the air base, it could mean a new turn in the war. If so, it will be the first major Ukrainian attack on Crimea and the base used for attacks in southern Ukraine. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attack, but anonymous officials have been quoted as saying that Ukraine was behind it. Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC show the damage in the coastal town of Novofedorovka after the explosions. Photo: Planet Labs PBC / AP According to Ukraine, at least nine planes were destroyed. The satellite images from Planet Labs PBC show that at least seven fighter planes have been destroyed and that there is probably damage to several planes. One person is said to have been killed and 14 injured in the explosions. The Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula The Crimean peninsula was annexed by Russia in 2014, and is strategically and symbolically very important. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this week that the war is not over until Crimea is liberated. – The Russian war against Ukraine and all of Europe started with Crimea and must end with the liberation of Crimea, Zelenskyj said on Tuesday. British Defense Minister Ben Wallace tells the BBC that there are many indications that the explosions were not an accident, as there were several. Ukraine has the right to attack the Crimean peninsula, he says to the BBC. – It is absolutely legitimate for Ukraine to use lethal force, if necessary … to regain not only its territory, but also to push back the invader. In the coastal town of Novofedorivka on the Crimean peninsula, several buildings were damaged during the explosions on Tuesday. Photo: STRINGER / Reuters – Celebrating as if they won Eurovision Senior researcher Karsten Friis at the Norwegian Foreign Policy Institute (Nupi) tells NTB that the possible attack is interesting. – It has great psychological significance, as it is further away from the front line than any previous attack. It gives Ukraine a morale boost. In social media, there is about as much celebration as when Ukraine won Eurovision, says Friis to NTB. – It is still unclear what kind of weapon was used, but Russia’s claim that it was an accident is unlikely. This is a similarly symbolic defeat for Russia, says Friis. About 250 residents were evacuated in the coastal town of Novofedorivka on Tuesday. Photo: STRINGER / Reuters Ukraine denies responsibility According to witnesses, there were at least 12 explosions around 15:20 local time on Tuesday, Reuters reports. When asked by the TV channel Dozhd whether Ukraine was involved in the explosion, on Tuesday the senior adviser to President Zelenskyj, Mykhailo Podoljak, answered the following: – Of course not. What do we have to do with this? The cause of the explosion has not yet been confirmed. Photo: STRINGER / Reuters Russia blames security routines Ukraine has little ammunition that can reach the peninsula, and Russia has air defense systems in place that can shoot down missile attacks. According to the Russian authorities, the explosion is not the result of an attack or sabotage. – It is only a breach of fire safety rules that is believed to be the cause of the explosion of ammunition. There are no signs that this was a deliberate act, writes the Russian news agency Tass, citing a source in the Russian Defense Ministry. The US-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, is among several who state that it is unlikely that the attack was an accident. The explosion caused damage to buildings near the air base. Photo: STRINGER / Reuters Red line for Russia Russia has long stated that a Ukrainian attack on Crimea would be a “red line”, as it would consider this an attack on its own territory. Russia’s former president, Dimitry Medvedev, stated in July that any attacks on Crimea would be met with a “doomsday response”, according to Reuters. Crimea’s regional authorities state that around 250 residents were evacuated on Tuesday. Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014. It happened in connection with a disputed referendum, after Russian and pro-Russian forces had occupied the peninsula. Photo: STRINGER / Reuters Popular resort Russian authorities have said that no hotels or beaches were hit and that it is safe to holiday there, which many Russians do in the summer. If it turns out that Western weapons were used in the attack, there could be consequences. Ukraine has promised not to use Western weapons for attacks on Russian soil, so it will then be a matter of definition whether Crimea is Russian or an occupied Ukrainian territory.
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Satellite images show destroyed planes on the Crimean peninsula – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
