Russia "Ukraine A-Teakms missile shot down over Crimean Peninsula airspace"

On July 19 last year (local time), an explosion occurred at a military training ground in the Kirovske area of the Crimean Peninsula, causing flames to surge.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Russia announced on the 30th (local time) that it had shot down an ATACMS long-range surface-to-surface missile launched by Ukraine targeting the Crimean Peninsula.

Sergey Aksyonov, head of the Crimean Autonomous Republic, claimed via Telegram that Ukraine's ATACMS missile was intercepted by Russian air defenses over the Crimean Peninsula.

He posted photos of the unexploded ATACMS missile that fell near Donskoye and Simferopol in Crimea. However, he did not provide details such as the exact time or circumstances of the interception.

The Russian Ministry of Defense also stated that within the past 24 hours, air defense forces shot down 10 Ukrainian drones, 6 American-made ATACMS missiles, and 2 French-made Hammer precision-guided bombs.

The new ATACMS missile, with a range of up to 300 km, was provided by the United States. Last week, the U.S. disclosed this fact and stated that Ukraine was instructed to use it only within its own territory.

At that time, Russia accused Ukraine of planning to attack Russian territory, including Crimea, with these missiles.

Ukraine may launch additional attacks on Russia during the Labor Day (May 1) and Victory Day (May 9) holidays. There is also analysis suggesting that around 40 missiles could be used to attack the Crimean Bridge, which connects the Crimean Peninsula and mainland Russia, coinciding with the inauguration of Vladimir Putin, who secured a fifth term as Russian president, on May 7.