A Ukrainian soldier hangs the Ukrainian flag during a “special operation” by Ukrainian forces at an identified location near the settlements of Olenivka and Mayak, in Crimea, in this screenshot obtained from a video released August 24, 2023. Main Directorate of Intelligence Ukrainian/Handout via Reuters/File photo Obtain licensing rights
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia said on Friday that Ukraine had fired a missile at Moscow and attacked Crimea with 42 drones, in one of the largest coordinated Ukrainian air strikes known to date on Russian-controlled territory.
The Russian Defense Ministry said a modified S-200 missile was shot down over the Kaluga region, which borders the Moscow region. Kaluga is less than 200 kilometers (124 miles) from Moscow.
The Defense Ministry said: “The missile was detected and destroyed by air defenses over the territory of the Kaluga region.”
Kaluga governor Vladislav Shapsha said there were no casualties.
Ukraine did not immediately comment on the reports, and has never publicly claimed responsibility for the attacks inside Russia or on Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry also said that Crimea, which Russia captured and annexed in 2014, had been attacked. It added that the air defense forces destroyed nine drones, while the electronic warfare nullified 33 aircraft, and they crashed over the Crimea peninsula without reaching their targets.
Mikhail Razvozaev, the governor of the Crimean port city of Sevastopol, who was appointed by Moscow, said via the Telegram messaging app that a number of drones had been destroyed on the outskirts of Sevastopol.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the attacks, which Russia blamed on Ukraine. Russian airports near Moscow have suspended flights for a few hours.
The attacks were the latest in a series of similar incidents since the destruction of two drones over the Kremlin in early May.
Ukraine said the destruction of Russia’s military infrastructure was helping to launch a counteroffensive, compared to what Kiev launched in June. President Volodymyr Zelensky told an international conference this week that Kiev would “remove the occupation” of Crimea.
Russia has shown no sign of leaving Crimea, which it has used to launch missiles into Ukraine.
But Ukraine’s military intelligence said it had assisted the navy this week in a “special operation” in which it landed units on the western tip of Crimea, clashed with Russian forces and hoisted the Ukrainian flag.
The mission, which has not been confirmed by Russia, coincided with Ukraine’s Independence Day and appeared to be aimed at showing that Ukrainian forces are capable of conducting ground operations in Crimea and that the peninsula is not immune from danger.
Ukraine’s military intelligence also reported this week that it had deliberately lured a Russian military pilot into landing his Mi-8 helicopter at a Ukrainian airport. Russia did not comment. The famous Russian pro-war channel “Fighterbomber” said that a helicopter went missing and landed by mistake.
Reporting by Lydia Kelly in Warsaw;
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