Ukraine Strikes Moscow's Black Sea Fleet Headquarters In Crimea

Ukraine launched a missile attack on Friday that targeted the headquarters of Moscow's Black Sea fleet in annexed Crimea. The attack resulted in at least one casualty and ignited a fire, marking Kyiv's latest assault on the peninsula. Ukraine has consistently targeted Crimea throughout Russia's offensive, but recent attacks on military installations in the region have intensified as Kyiv expresses its determination to retake the peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the governor of Crimea's largest city, Sevastopol, confirmed the missile strike on the fleet's headquarters through social media. He reported that missile fragments had fallen near a theater and urged residents to avoid the area. In a subsequent post, Razvozhayev warned of the possibility of another aerial attack and advised the city's more than 500,000 residents to stay indoors. He emphasized the importance of heeding sirens and proceeding to shelters if near the fleet's headquarters. Rescue workers were dispatched to the scene, with Razvozhayev stating, "Firefighters are taking all measures to eliminate the fire as soon as possible." Russia's defense ministry reported that "one serviceman was killed" and claimed that five missiles had been intercepted by air defense systems. Tensions in the Black Sea region have escalated, particularly since Moscow withdrew from an agreement that had facilitated the safe passage of civilian cargo ships from three Ukrainian ports. Ukraine has been urging its allies to provide its armed forces with long-range missiles capable of targeting positions deeper inside Russian-controlled territory. Western leaders had initially expressed concerns that Ukraine could target Russian territory and exacerbate the conflict. Nevertheless, both France and the United Kingdom have supplied weapons to Kyiv's forces. As part of its increasing barrage on Crimea, Ukraine announced earlier in the week that it had struck a military airfield near Saky. The airfield housed warplanes and Pantsir missile defense systems, as well as a training center for operators of drones used by Russia to target Ukraine. In addition to targeting military installations, Kyiv has repeatedly struck the only bridge connecting the peninsula to the Russian mainland, disrupting transportation and causing damage that took weeks to repair. Russian officials indicated that traffic across the bridge was temporarily halted on Friday. Civilian maritime traffic in Sevastopol was also suspended, according to Russian-installed authorities.