In a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the Ukrainian forces launched a series of airstrikes on the annexed Crimea, causing powerful explosions at the Saky air base. The attack, carried out using U.S.-supplied ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System), resulted in two Russian servicemen wounded, according to the Astra Telegram channel, run by independent Russian journalists.

The strikes targeted an ammunition depot at the Novofedorivka air base in the western town, as well as a radar station at a Russian air defense deployment site near the village of Shelkovichnoye in the Saky district. Taking responsibility for the attack, Ukraine stated that its forces were actively "destroying the military infrastructure of the Russian invaders."

The Ukrainian General Staff, in a statement on social media, revealed that the Saky airfield was an operational base used by Russia to control airspace over the Black Sea region and launch airstrikes on Ukrainian territory. The General Staff also emphasized that the Russian air defense equipment, which was supposed to protect the facility, failed yet again, exposing a significant vulnerability in Russia's defenses.

Russia, as of now, has not officially commented on the attack, and Newsweek has been unable to independently verify the use of ATACMS. Attempts were made to seek comments from the Russian Defense Ministry and Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, but no responses have been received.

These airstrikes on Crimea mark another escalation in the ongoing conflict since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Ukraine has been relentlessly pursuing the reclamation of the Black Sea peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.

Russian military bloggers, known for their pro-war stance, have expressed growing concerns about the country's ability to protect its key assets. Boris Rozhin, a Crimea-based Russian war blogger, recently urged President Vladimir Putin to address the state of Russia's air defense systems after a reported Ukrainian strike in the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, resulted in the destruction of parts of a Russian S-300/400 air defense system. Rozhin stressed the urgent need for a revision of Russia's air defense architecture.

As the conflict between Ukraine and Russia intensifies, Ukraine's ability to target crucial Russian military facilities raises questions about the effectiveness of Russia's defenses. The events unfolding in Crimea highlight the urgency for both sides to find a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict.

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