Russia Denies Deadly Blasts In Crimea Caused By Ukrainians

Moscow insisted Tuesday, August 9, 2022, that blasts at a key airbase on the Russian-annexed Crimea peninsula were caused by exploding ammunition rather than Ukrainian fire, echoing the claim in April 2022 that fire caused the Russian Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva to sink, only to be proven wrong when two Ukrainian missiles were confirmed to have hit the warship.

Photo Insert: Ukraine's army, which for months pleaded for long-range artillery from Western allies, has been hitting targets deeper in Russian-held territory since some started arriving in recent weeks.

The blasts rocked the Saki airfield on the 167th day of Moscow's invasion, Thibault Marchand reported for the Agence France-Presse (AFP) on August 10, 2022. Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and has used the region as a staging ground for its attacks on Ukraine, but it has rarely been a target for Ukrainian forces.

The Russian defense ministry said "several aviation munitions detonated" at the base in an incident the head of the region said had left one person dead. Local health officials earlier said five people, including one child, had been injured.

The defense ministry said it was looking to establish the reason for the explosions but indicated the airfield was not targeted in an attack. Ukraine's army, which for months pleaded for long-range artillery from Western allies, has been hitting targets deeper in Russian-held territory since some started arriving in recent weeks.

Kyiv has also taken credit for several acts of sabotage inside Russian-held territory but this time, it denied responsibility and suggested Crimean guerrillas might have caused the blasts, like the attacks on oil refineries, ammunition dumps, and military facilities in Russia.

On Tuesday, the United States announced that it will provide $89 million for demining efforts in Ukraine.

"Russia's unlawful and unprovoked further invasion of Ukraine has littered massive swaths of the country with land mines, unexploded ordnance, and improvised explosive devices," the State Department said in a statement.

"These explosive hazards block access to fertile farmland, delay reconstruction efforts, prevent displaced communities from returning to their homes, and continue to kill and maim innocent Ukrainian civilians," it said.

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