Crimean Command Center Destroyed in Ukraine Air Force Strike: Kyiv

The air force commander in Ukraine, General Mykola Oleschuk, has just confirmed that forces have successfully carried out a strike operation in the Saky air base, which is under the control of Russia in the Crimea region. Taking to Telegram, the commander shared an alleged drone image and expressed gratitude to the pilots while stating unequivocally that a Russian command post within the area was successfully decimated.

However, official confirmation of this claim, particularly as concerns the total number of affected targets, as reported in certain local media outlets, remains forthcoming. There were also reports of ten strikes occurring in the vicinity of Yevpatoria, not far from the Saky base, on Friday night.

Despite these claims by Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry (MOD) has conversely posted a statement suggesting that their air defense units successfully intercepted four inbound guided missiles within occupied Crimea on Saturday. The statement decried what they termed as an attempted terrorist attack orchestrated by the Kyiv regime but failed to provide any substantiating proof of the intercepted missiles.

Authorities installed by Moscow in Crimea also confirmed that they had to temporarily close down the Crimean Bridge due to the increasing prevalence of attacks since the start of the war in February 2022.

In other news, the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported being successful in an earlier raid targeted at another Russian command post and ammo storage facilities located near Sevastopol, the primary city in Crimea. Though they did not give further details about the attack's outcomes, they received support from the Atesh rebel movement members who claimed to have targeted a control center and radar system.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian President proclaimed that the war objectives involved repelling Russian vessels in the Black Sea and maintaining a successful offense in Crimea. He also noted that the growing attacks on the peninsula, which have successfully targetted significant Russian interests and crucial infrastructure such as the Kerch Strait Bridge, were an important part of Ukraine's strategy to isolate Crimea and eventually reduce the number of attacks coming from the region. Newsweek is committed to seeking out the truth in the midst of prevailing assumptions and making meaningful connections in the quest for mutual understanding.