The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced that an explosion occurred in Dzhankoy in the northern part of the occupied Crimean Peninsula, destroying Russian cruise missiles that the Russian Navy in the Black Sea intended to use. The ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate stated in social media posts that "the explosion in the city of Dzhankoy, located in temporarily occupied Crimea, destroyed Russian Kalibr cruise missiles while they were being transported by rail."
It added that the missiles, designed to be launched from surface ships of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, have a range of over 2,500 kilometers on land and 375 kilometers at sea. Ihor Iven, the Dzhankoy governor appointed by Russia, was quoted saying that the city was attacked by drones, and a 33-year-old man was injured by shrapnel from a downed drone and was taken to the hospital.
The TASS news agency quoted Iven saying that fire broke out in a house, a school, and a grocery store, and the electricity network suffered damage. Meanwhile, Oleg Kryuchkov, an advisor to the Crimean leadership, indicated that all drones shot down over Dzhankoy in Crimea were targeting civilian objects and were loaded with shrapnel. Kryuchkov confirmed that all Ukrainian drones were aimed at civilian facilities, noting that one was shot down over Dzhankoy Technical College, landing between the educational building and the student dormitory.
Kryuchkov posted images on his Telegram account, claiming they were of the drones that were shot down in Crimea. It is noteworthy that the Ukrainian defense has not claimed responsibility for this attack, but if confirmed, it could represent one of the boldest Ukrainian strikes in the heart of Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, particularly as a significant Russian military airbase is located near Dzhankoy. Some observers suggested that this attack may be a response to the surprise visit by the Russian president last Saturday, marking the ninth anniversary of the annexation.