Crimean President Sergei Aksyonov said that air defense forces shot down a cruise missile in the Kerch region. telegraph channel. He said there were no injuries or casualties.
Aksyonov gave no further details about the incident. “I ask everyone to stay calm and trust only reliable sources of information,” he concluded.
About half an hour after the message of the head of the region, the Telegram channel Mash wrote, without citing the source, that two-way traffic on the Crimean bridge was temporarily stopped.
“According to our information, this is due to an attempt to attack the unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kerch region,” writes Mash. The channel also published images that the missile was hit by air defense systems.
After some time, the Minister of Transport of Crimea Nikolai Lukashenko announced the resumption of traffic on the Crimean bridge. He did not specify why the movement was stopped.
What could hit the Crimea?
The Rybar Telegram channel writes that the anti-aircraft artillery of the 31st Air Defense Division of the Russian Armed Forces intercepted a missile north of Taman. “There was no damage or loss of life, the wreckage fell into the waters of the Sea of Azov,” Rybar said.
According to the author of the channel, it is still unknown what exactly the Ukrainian army tried to shoot.
“The most likely use is a modernized missile from the S-200 complex, redesigned for attacks along a ballistic trajectory. This range is about 400 km, ”says Rybar.
According to him, to attack with a cruise missile even at a maximum flight range of 300 km, Ukrainian aircraft would have to be launched “near the front line”.
Kerch has already become the target of attacks of the Ukrainian army. On August 18, 2022, an air defense system also worked over the city, several explosions were heard. Officials assured that there was no threat to the Crimean bridge.
Dmitry Marchenko, Major General of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, previously called the bridge from Kerch to Taman the “number one target” for the Ukrainian army.
Air defense work in the Rostov region
Almost simultaneously with the defeat of the missile over Kerch, the air defense system in the Rostov area worked.
“A Ukrainian missile was shot down in the area between Kamensk and Donetsk. No victims. Shrapnel partially damaged the roofs of several buildings. Damage assessment is underway.” knowledgeable Governor Vasily Golubev. According to him, the incident happened around 12:00.
Fragments of a fallen shell were found in various districts of Donetsk (in the Rostov region).
Air defense work was also reported in the Melitopol region of the Zaporozhye region. Vladimir Rogov, head of the organization “We are with Russia”, said that during the day there were three explosions.
“Three explosions were heard in the Melitopol area. According to preliminary information, air defense worked, ”said Rogov. He did not give any other details.
Several drone and missile attacks have been reported in the Zaporozhye region and Crimea since the beginning of summer. Especially on 20 June, the unmanned aerial vehicle was suppressed with electronic warfare near Northern Crimea. The air defense system dropped another missile over Melitopol on 1 July.