MOSCOW: A Ukrainian drone attack on Crimea on Saturday blew up an ammunition depot, sparking evacuations on the Moscow-annexed peninsula and halting rail traffic, just five days after drones damaged Russia’s symbolic bridge across the Kerch Strait.

In a counteroffensive launched to retake lands lost to Moscow, Kyiv has increasingly made clear despite some Western unease that it aims to also take back the Black Sea peninsula.

“The goal is to return Crimea,” Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said, according to a transcript published by his office on Saturday of a speech addressing the Aspen Security Forum Friday.

He said Kyiv considers the Crimea bridge as an “enemy object” and wants it to be “neutralised”.

Less than 24 hours later, the Moscow-installed head of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov, said an “enemy” drone had detonated an ammunition depot.

“As a result of an attack by an enemy drone on the Krasnogvardeisky district, an ammunition depot detonated,” Aksyonov said on Telegram, referring to an area that lies inland at the centre of Crimea.

He did not specify exactly where it hit and ordered the evacuation of people living within five kilometres of the zone, without saying how many residents would be moved.

Aksyonov claimed there was little damage, but unverified videos on social media showed smoke billowing into the air.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2023