Ukraine says it hit Russian air defence systems in occupied Crimea

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(Reuters) – Ukraine’s military said it damaged three Russian surface-to-air defence systems overnight in missile attacks on the Moscow-occupied Crimea peninsula.

The attacks struck an S-400 system in Dzhankoi and two less advanced S-300 systems near Yevpatoriya and Chornomorske resulting in “significant losses” for Russian air defences, Ukraine’s general staff said on Monday.

Reuters could not independently verify the statement. There was no immediate comment from the Russian defence ministry. Local Telegram channels reported explosions near Dzhankoi and Yevpatoriya.

Ukraine’s military said its strikes shut down radars on the Russian systems and detonated ammunition in the area.

“None of our missiles were intercepted by the enemy’s ‘highly effective’ air defences,” it said on its Telegram account.

Russia has repeatedly launched ballistic missiles on southern Ukraine from the Crimea peninsula that Moscow seized and occupied in 2014.

Over the last two years of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has in turn carried out multiple air and naval strikes on Russian targets on the peninsula and caused significant damage to Moscow’s fleet in the Black Sea.

Ukraine said it damaged two ferries there on May 30 and halted their operations between the peninsula and the Russian mainland. The vessels had been used as a backup for an 18-km Russian-built bridge that Ukraine has also previously attacked.

(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Andrew Heavens)