Nearby Tourist Visitors Also Evacuate... 9 Casualties
More Than 200km from Frontline... Low Risk of Bombing
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] It has been reported that an ammunition depot at an air force base in the Crimean Peninsula, occupied by Russia since 2014, exploded, resulting in at least 9 casualties. The front line where Ukrainian and Russian forces are currently engaged in combat is located more than 200 km away, making the possibility of a Ukrainian airstrike low. Meanwhile, there is speculation about sabotage by pro-Ukrainian forces within the Crimean Peninsula.
According to Russia's TASS news agency on the 9th (local time), several explosions occurred in the afternoon at the ammunition depot of the Saki Air Force Base in Crimea, causing at least 9 casualties, including 1 death and 8 injuries. Witnesses reported that the explosions continued more than 10 times over at least 1 to 2 minutes, and windows of nearby buildings were shattered. Many tourists gathered nearby were also evacuated.
Sergey Aksyonov, head of the Crimean administration under Russia, stated, "After the incident, a 5 km radius area was cordoned off, and residents around the military base were evacuated." He added, "We plan to provide shelter and food to about 30 evacuated residents, but a full evacuation order has not been issued."
The Russian Ministry of Defense also released a statement saying, "The accident occurred due to the detonation of aviation ammunition," and "No fighter jets or military equipment were destroyed aside from the ammunition." Although there were rumors that the damage was caused by a Ukrainian counterattack, the Russian Ministry of Defense has completely denied this.
The Crimean Peninsula was forcibly occupied by Russia in 2014, followed by a referendum that led to its forced annexation as Russian territory. It is known to be located about 225 km or more away from major front-line areas such as Kherson, where Ukrainian and Russian forces are engaged in combat. The British BBC reported, "The weapons possessed by the Ukrainian forces cannot reach this distance for shelling," and "There is no evidence that Ukrainian fighter jets conducted bombing."
Accordingly, some speculate that the destruction may have been caused by pro-Ukrainian forces within Crimea. The Ukrainian side is intensifying its offensive against Russian-occupied territories as Russia is reportedly preparing to hold referendums next month in key occupied areas such as Kherson Province. Earlier, on the 31st of last month, ahead of Russia's Navy Day celebrations, a drone attack was carried out in Sevastopol, where the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters is located in Crimea, injuring 6 people.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
