All drones over Sevastopol 'shot down': Crimea authorities

MOSCOW: Authorities in Moscow-annexed Crimea said all drones that had attacked the peninsula’s Sevastopol port earlier on Saturday had been successfully “repelled” and “shot down”.

“Today, starting at 04:30 am for several hours, various air defence systems in Sevastopol repelled drone attacks,” Russian-installed Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said on Telegram. “All UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) have been shot down.”

The governor earlier said that Russian navy early Saturday repelled a drone attack in the bay of Sevastopol, home to Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet in Crimea.

“Ships of the Black Sea Fleet are repelling a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) in Sevastopol bay,” governor Razvozhayev said.

“No facilities in the city have been hit. The situation is under control.”

City authorities later said that the harbour was “temporarily” closed to boats and ferries.

Russia annexed the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

Its forces attacked Ukraine from several directions in February this year, including from Crimea.

Earlier this week, Razvozhayev said that a drone had attacked a thermal power station near Sevastopol.

The Russian fleet stationed in the port had also been attacked by a drone in July.

The latest announcement came as Ukrainian forces press a counter-offensive to retake land in the country’s Russian-occupied south.