A massive explosion rocked an ammunition depot in Russia-annexed Crimea on Saturday, forcing the evacuation of nearby homes, news agencies reported.
The Ukrainian military took credit for the attack, reportedly carried out by a drone, saying it destroyed an oil depot and Russian military warehouses in Oktyabrske, in the Krasnohvardiiske region of Crimea.
Sergey Aksyonov, the Kremlin-appointed head of Crimea, said in a Telegram post that there were no immediate reports of casualties, but that authorities were evacuating civilians within a 5-kilometer (3-mile) radius.
Traffic was briefly halted on the Kerch bridge, which although about 180 kilometers (110 miles) to the east of the attack, was the scene of two explosions on Monday that killed two people and damaged a section of roadway.
Monday’s strike was the second major attack on the bridge since the start of the war.
Russia seized and annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, eight years before launching its full-scale invasion of the country.
The Kerch Bridge, which links Russia and Crimea, is a conspicuous symbol of Moscow’s claims on the peninsula.
The 19-kilometer (nearly 12-mile) bridge is the longest in Europe and is crucial for Russia’s military operations in southern Ukraine.
Here are some of the other developments from Russia’s war in Ukraine on Saturday, July 22.
Poland opens repair hub for tanks damaged in war
Poland said a repair hub for tanks damaged in Ukraine has begun operating in the southern Polish city of Gliwice.
“The maintenance hub in Gliwice has started operating! The first two Leopards have already arrived from Ukraine to the Bumar plant,” Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak wrote on Twitter.
Poland has been one of Ukraine’s strongest allies since the full-scale Russian invasion began and has been negotiating a joint initiative for Leopard tanks with Germany.
But no common position has been announced on that front.
At least 4 dead in Russian attack near Donetsk
At least four people were killed in the most recent Russian attacks on a village close to Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, the public prosecutor’s office said.
Fab-250 bombs were dropped on the village of Nyu-York by Moscow’s forces on Friday evening, the office stated.
Three civilians were taken to the hospital with injuries, the office reported.
The death toll was expected to rise.
A war crimes investigation was opened by the prosecutor’s office.
Dnipropetrovsk regional authorities reported three people had been injured by Russian artillery fire in Nikopol, a town located on the banks of the Dnipro River on the opposite side of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant that is occupied by Russian troops.
Russia blames West for death of Russian journalist in Ukraine
A Russian war reporter was killed and three others were wounded in Ukraine on Saturday in what Russia’s Defense Ministry said was a Ukrainian attack using cluster munitions.
Rostislav Zhuravlev, a war correspondent for state news agency RIA, and three other colleagues came under fire in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, the Ministry said.
It described the death as “a heinous, premeditated crime” committed by Western powers and Kyiv and vowed a “response” against those to blame.
Cluster bombs are in the spotlight after Ukraine received supplies from the United States this month.
Many countries ban them because they rain shrapnel over a wide area and can pose a risk to civilians.
Some bomblets typically fail to explode immediately and can blow up years later.
DW cameraman wounded in Russian attack
A DW cameraman was injured by shrapnel on Saturday in a Russian attack on a Ukrainian army training ground in Donbas, some 23 kilometers (14 miles) away from the frontline, the German broadcaster said in a statement.
DW’s Ievgen Shylko was part of a team sent to report from the training ground near the town of Druzhkivka when they came under Russian artillery fire.
“We were filming the Ukrainian army during target practice when suddenly we heard several explosions,” DW correspondent Mathias Bölinger said.
“We lay down, more explosions followed, we saw people were wounded,” he added.
A Ukrainian soldier was killed and several others were injured in the attack.
Zelenskyy, NATO’s Stoltenberg discuss Black Sea grain deal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the “unblocking” of the Black Sea grain corridor with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg after Moscow this week exited a crucial deal to ensure the safe passage of ships.
“We shared assessments of the current situation in the Black Sea and the risks it poses for global food security,” Zelenskyy said on Twitter after a phone call with Stoltenberg.
“We also identified with Mr. Stoltenberg the priority and future steps necessary for…
Read More: Drone strikes Crimea munitions depot – DW – 07/22/2023