Ukraine says hit air defence system in Russia

KYIV: Ukraine said Wednesday it struck a Russian anti-aircraft system in the border region of Belgorod overnight, as Kyiv’s attacks on Russian-controlled territory intensify.

Since Kyiv launched its counteroffensive in June, Russian regions bordering Ukraine have accused the Ukrainian army of almost daily drone strikes and shelling. An unnamed source in the Ukrainian Security Service source told AFP that its forces hit a “strategic air defence system near the Russian city of Belgorod”.

It said this was the second Triumf system Ukraine had hit in the past month, after striking one in Crimea in mid-September.

There was no mention of the attack in official reports from Russia, which said its air defences had destroyed over 30 Ukrainian drones. “Air defence systems on duty over the territory of the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions intercepted and destroyed 31 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles,” Russia’s defence ministry said.

The governor of Bryansk, Aleksandr Bogomaz, said his region had been targeted by a drone attack and cluster munitions, but that there were no casualties.

“There is partial destruction of residential households and outbuildings,” he said.

Also overnight, the Russian defence ministry said its air force “stopped an attempt to penetrate the territory of Crimea by a landing group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine”.

The Ukrainians had been heading “in the direction of Cape Tarkhankut on a high-speed military boat and three jet skis,” it said.

Ukraine posted video footage appearing to show what it said were several boats sailing towards Crimea, and said it “inflicted fire” on Moscow’s forces.

Ukraine has targeted Crimea throughout Russia’s offensive but attacks on military installations there have recently intensified as Kyiv vows to recapture the peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014.

Last month, Ukraine also launched an unprecedented missile strike on the naval headquarters on the peninsula.

Moscow said that the attack left one Russian serviceman missing, while Kyiv claimed that the strike killed thirty-four officers including the fleet commander, Viktor Sokolov.

Moscow has denied the claim and has since shown footage of the commander attending meetings.