Russia repels missile, drone attacks near Crimea

Moscow, Aug 17 (IANS) The Russian military has repelled a group missile attack on the Crimean Bridge and drone attacks over the Black Sea overnight, the Russian Defence Ministry said.

"Air defence systems repelled a group attack by 12 US-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles on the Crimean Bridge over the night. All missiles were destroyed," the Ministry said on Friday in a statement.

Earlier on Friday, the Ministry added that Ukraine had launched drone attacks in the Black Sea on Thursday and that its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed five Ukrainian drones over the Black Sea, Xinhua news agency reported.

Russian helicopters destroyed five Ukrainian unmanned boats in the Black Sea heading in the direction of Crimea, it said.

The Crimean Bridge was illegally constructed following Russia's annexation of Crimea to connect the Russian mainland with Kerch, a city on the far eastern tip of the Crimean peninsula.

Russia's claims come hours after Ukraine's Odesa region Military Administration said that there are indications that Ukraine successfully struck a ferry crossing in the city of Kerch in Russian-occupied Crimea overnight.

Explosions rang out across multiple cities in occupied Crimea overnight on Friday, the Crimean Wind Telegram channel claimed, citing local residents.

A fire was reported near the city of Kerch, in the area of the Kerch ferry crossing.

Residents in Sevastopol, Simferopol, and Kerch heard explosions around 3:30 a.m. local time, according to local media reports.

Multiple explosions were also reported in the community of Chernomorsk in Russia's neighbouring Krasnodar Krai at around 4:30 a.m. local time.

The Crimean Bridge was reportedly closed to traffic around 2 a.m., local residents reported.

The bridge reportedly reopened at around 7 a.m. local time.

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