In a dramatic turn of events, Crimea, the Moscow-annexed peninsula, faced heightened tensions and evacuations after a Ukrainian drone attack targeted an ammunition depot on Saturday. This incident occurred just five days after drones damaged Russia’s symbolic bridge across the Kerch Strait.
Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, has been a focal point of conflict throughout Moscow’s 17-month-long Ukraine offensive. However, in recent weeks, the region has experienced intensified attacks from Kyiv, as it launches a counteroffensive to retake lands lost to Moscow.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky made his intentions clear during a speech at the Aspen Security Forum, stating that the goal is to reclaim Crimea. He specifically referred to the Crimea bridge, opened by Russian leader Vladimir Putin in 2018, as an “enemy object” that needs to be “neutralized.”
The drone attack, which detonated an ammunition depot in the Krasnogvardeisky district of Crimea’s inland area, prompted the Moscow-installed head of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, to order the evacuation of residents living within five kilometres of the zone. Rail traffic on the peninsula was also halted as a precautionary measure.
Despite Aksyonov’s claim of minimal damage and no casualties, unverified videos on social media showed billowing smoke rising from the site. Furthermore, the resumption of road traffic across the Crimea bridge, a crucial link for transportation since flights have been cancelled during the conflict, occurred only after repairs from a previous Ukrainian attack.
The series of attacks on Crimea has caused unease among Kyiv’s Western allies, who fear potential escalation and conflict with Russia. Additionally, the situation has escalated tensions in the Black Sea region, with Russia exiting a landmark grain deal that guaranteed safe passage for cargo ships destined for Ukraine, signalling a more hostile stance.
Kyiv has been seeking alternative grain corridors and has called on the United Nations and neighbouring countries for joint patrols to ensure safe passage for cargo. The Russian army’s live fire exercises in the Black Sea have also raised concerns, with the UN warning against further escalation.
On the battlefield, Moscow’s forces reported repelling three Ukrainian attacks in the eastern villages of Urozhayniy and Priyutniy. Russia also accused Kyiv of using cluster munitions on the Russian border village of Zhuravlevka, a move that sparked international criticism.
The use of cluster munitions has drawn attention, especially since the US faced backlash for supplying these weapons to Ukraine. President Joe Biden’s decision to provide the munitions has intensified tensions, with Putin warning that Moscow has enough cluster munitions to respond in kind if Ukraine continues to use them.
