Satellite images showed extensive damage to the airfield in Crimea after the blast, with wrecked Russian warplanes strewn about.
The blast took place at The Saki base on Tuesday. One person was killed. BBC news.
Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the explosion. But new evidence suggests it was a planned attack.
The US-based Planet Lab took the photos of the base.
As can be seen in the picture, the main runway of the base is intact. At least eight fighters were damaged and destroyed. And several holes are clearly visible. These were the open areas of the base where the bulk of the warplanes were kept.
Planet Lab images before and after the explosion showed extensive damage to the base. Until then, information about the damage to the base was scarce.
However, it is not yet clear what caused the damage to the base.
Russia insists the accident was caused by an ammunition explosion in a warehouse.
Although Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attack, the country’s defense minister claims that careless soldiers can be blamed for the explosion.
Oleksiy Reznikov said, “I think the Russian soldiers violated a very normal rule at the airport.” That is – do not smoke in dangerous places. That’s all.
According to the Ukrainian air force, as many as a dozen Russian warplanes may have been destroyed in this explosion. However, Russia has denied the destruction of their warplanes. But according to the new picture, it is clear that Russia’s claim is not true.
Russia had previously warned that Ukraine’s attack on Crimea would be considered serious.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned that if Ukraine invades Crimea, ‘doomsday will happen instantly’.
Internationally, Crimea is part of Ukraine. But this Black Sea peninsula was occupied by Russia in 2014. Many Ukrainians see this as the beginning of their war with Russia.
After the explosion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenysk said on Tuesday that Ukraine must liberate the peninsula before the end of the war.
February 24 of this year — eight years after annexing Crimea, Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Using Crimea as a springboard, Russia is sending troops deep into Ukraine.
