Russia says Ukraine has launched 10 missiles and three unmanned boats in an attack on the home of its Black Sea fleet in Crimea.
The attack caused a large fire at a Sevastopol shipyard which left 24 people injured, Russia said. Moscow-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev claimed most of the weapons were intercepted.
Russia said two of its ships were damaged as a result of hits by cruise missiles. A photo shared by Mr Razvozhayev on Telegram shows flames engulfing what appears to be a vessel at a port as he stands speaking into his phone.
Images circulating on social media, which the BBC has yet to verify, show several large explosions in the area.
Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Ukraine has targeted Sevastopol and the Black Sea fleet before but this seems to be one of its most concerted attacks so far, probably using western-supplied long-range missiles.
The fact that some got through Russia's air defences and appear to have done substantial damage will be of real concern in Moscow. Seven of the missiles were downed and all three boats were destroyed, the country's defence ministry claimed. Ukraine has not yet commented on the Crimea attack.
Meanwhile, Russian drones reportedly damaged the Ukrainian grain port of Izmail, on the Danube river. The governor of the Odesa region, Oleh Kiper, said six people had been injured in the attack, which caused a fire and damaged infrastructure.
“Several groups of drones were launched at the Izmail district,” Mr Kiper said on Telegram.
“Unfortunately, there were hits: damage to port and other civil infrastructure was recorded.”
— CutC by bbc.com
