Sept 22 (Reuters) – At least one Ukrainian missile hit the Russian Black Sea naval headquarters in the Crimea port of Sevastopol, and a large-scale cyber attack disrupted internet services on the peninsula, reported the region’s authorities installed by Moscow.
The Russian Defense Ministry said one serviceman had been missing since the attack, revising its previous statement which said the serviceman had been killed. Air defenses shot down five missiles in total, according to the ministry.
Local governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said the attack had caused a fire.
Residents were urged to avoid downtown Sevastopol, where the navy building is located, he added, as firefighters were at the site and some roads were closed.
Mikhail Razvozhayev clarified that there were no civilian casualties and that civilian infrastructure was not damaged.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, where its Black Sea Fleet is based. The peninsula has been a frequent target of Ukrainian attacks during the 19-month-old war.
Russian-installed authorities said air defenses shot down another missile Friday near the town of Bakhchysarai, not far from Sevastopol. Crimean Governor Sergei Aksyonov said “cruise missiles” had been shot down over the peninsula.
Oleg Kryuchkov, an aide to Sergei Aksyonov, said in a separate statement that Internet providers in Crimea were experiencing an “unprecedented cyberattack,” leading to service interruptions. (Reuters report; French version Gaëlle Sheehan, edited by Blandine Hénault)
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