(Reuters) – Russian air defense systems destroyed all 38 drones launched from Ukraine on the Crimean peninsula early on Sunday morning, the Russian Defense Ministry said, after reports on Ukrainian and Russian social media of powerful explosions at the port of Feodosia.
The Russian Defense Ministry did not say whether there was any damage or casualties in its statement on the Telegram messaging app.
Road traffic near Feodosia has been significantly limited, Russian-based officials in Crimea had previously said. Traffic on the bridge connecting the Crimean peninsula to the Russian mainland was halted for a couple of hours before resuming around 0140 GMT, Russian-based officials in Crimea said on Telegram.
Russian and Ukrainian social media cited residents of Feodosia as saying that powerful explosions were heard in the area of the seaport and an oil depot at around 2 a.m. local time on Sunday (11 p.m. GMT on Saturday). .
Reuters was unable to independently verify reports of explosions. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials.
The Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in a move condemned by Kiev’s allies in 2014, and the Black Sea that borders the peninsula have become a crucial theater in the two-year war.
Ukraine’s increasing aerial and maritime drone attacks against Russian military targets have damaged or destroyed ships and ship repair yards in the port of Sevastopol and hit other targets.
Moscow uses its Black Sea fleet to launch long-range attacks against Ukraine. But for Russian President Vladimir Putin, the waters that connect to the Mediterranean Sea are also an important launchpad for projecting his power into the Middle East and Europe.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his troops had succeeded in diminishing Moscow’s military strength in the Black Sea, which he said with greater support from Kiev’s allies could lead to his country’s final victory over Russia .