Ukraine Claims Unprecedented Attack On Russian Airbase Deep Inside Crimea
Update(1516ET): Earlier Tuesday a large explosion at Russia's Saki air base deep within Crimea immediately set off speculation that Ukraine's military could have just launched its boldest attack yet of the six-month long war. Russia's defense ministry quickly tried to down play the incident, which it said resulted in a handful of injuries. The suggestion from the Kremlin was that it was an accidental ignition of munitions being stored on base, but Ukrainian government sources are meanwhile busy leaking that it was the result of its long-range rockets targeting the base.
A number of Western pundits were suspicious over the quick Kremlin denial of a Ukrainian army attack, and alleged Russia desired to avoid escalation, and also sought to deny allowing Kiev forces a 'victory' by covering up the strike. But now The New York Times has said Ukraine is claiming the attack:
A senior Ukrainian military official with knowledge of the situation said that Ukrainian forces were behind the attack. A spokesman for the Kremlin-installed leader of Crimea confirmed that there had been an explosion but asked residents to refrain from jumping to conclusions about its cause.
...Russian and occupation authorities did not speculate publicly about the possibility of a Ukrainian attack. The senior Ukrainian official, however, took credit for it.
"This was an air base from which planes regularly took off for attacks against our forces in the southern theater," the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters. The official would not disclose the type of weapon used in the attack, saying only that "a device exclusively of Ukrainian manufacture was used."
The explosion was widely filmed, and video has since hit the internet which seems to show more than one near-simultaneous impact of ordinance, strongly suggesting that it was a indeed a Ukrainian military strike.
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