Russian military installations in Crimea continue to blow up

• Crimea is now at the heart of what appears to be an audacious Ukrainian effort to target Russian supply lines and morale.
• Russia said “sabotage” was behind the latest explosions.
• Moscow’s admission that the blasts weren’t mere accidents could be pivotal for the conflict.

Crimea is now at the centre of what looks to be an audacious Ukrainian operation to strike Russian supply lines and morale.

Tuesday’s explosions at a Russian military base in the seized peninsula shook the tranquil summer vacation spot for the second time in a week and suggested that Ukraine may be able to strike behind enemy lines more frequently.

It’s a momentous step that defies Moscow’s cautions against striking a territory that bears considerable strategic and symbolic value for Russian President Vladimir Putin and might change the dynamics of the war as it approaches the six-month mark.

In contrast to its rhetoric last week, when it claimed that explosions at an air base in western Crimea were caused by the unintentional detonation of weapons, Russia now claims that “sabotage” was responsible for the most recent blasts.

Videos being shared online Following a series of explosions at an ammunition depot on Tuesday, plumes of grey smoke were seen rising above flames close to the village of Mayskoye in the northern Crimean district of Dzhankoi, and satellite imagery seen by NBC News revealed a column of smoke close to Dzhankoi.

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Given that the Kremlin has made it clear that it views attacks there as a red line, Moscow’s acknowledgment that the most recent explosions weren’t merely accidents might be crucial for the conflict moving forward.

Both Moscow, which annexed the peninsula in 2014 following a referendum that was largely disregarded by the international world, and Kiev, which has promised to recapture Crimea as its territory, place a high importance on the peninsula.

With key supply routes for its soldiers holding the south and military sites to support its war activities, it has served as a key strategic hub for Russia’s invasion of mainland Ukraine. The Black Sea fleet of Russia is based there as well.

The newest blasts were not directly linked to Kyiv, but senior Ukrainian officials have made strong suggestions that it is.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, tweeted on Tuesday, “Crimea is about warehouse explosions and significant risk of death for invaders and thieves.”

“Our military are the top supporters of happiness. After the blasts, Andriy Yermak, the director of Zelenskyy’s office, added, “Crimea is Ukraine.

Zelenskyy advised his fellow countrymen in the Crimea and other Russian-occupied territories to avoid Russian military installations in a barely covert letter late on Tuesday. People leaving the area after the blasts, he continued, is evidence that Russians “already understand or at least feel that Crimea is not a place for them.”

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