• Russian shells strike residential areas in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region.
• Governor of Crimea: Russia directed 80 rockets at residential areas, killing 11 people.
• Comes after one person killed in series of explosions at Russian military air station on Crimean peninsula.

Eleven deaths were reported during a Russian shelling strike in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region, according to the governor of the region.

Russia, according to Valentyn Reznychenko, a “directed 80 rockets at residential areas”while “people were sleeping in their homes.”

It comes after one person was killed in a series of explosions on Tuesday at a Russian military air station near coastal resorts on the seized Crimean peninsula – some 200 kilometres inside Russian-held territory.

There have been doubts regarding what caused the explosions, considering that the rockets delivered with the US-donated HIMARS launcher systems are thought to have a range of around 85 kilometres.

The base was thought to have been attacked by missiles, although Russia stated that munitions had exploded.

Witnesses reported hearing at least 12 explosions at the Saky facility in Crimea about 3.20pm local time (1.20pm BST).

Social media videos showed people fleeing a beach as flames and pillars of smoke erupted from various spots.

Witnesses reportedly reported a runway fire and damage to surrounding residences, according to Crimea Today News on Telegram.
According to Crimea’s health administration, one citizen was murdered, another was treated in hospital for serious injuries, and five others received minor wounds.

Russia grabbed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and exploited it as a base for its February invasion of its neighbour.

Russian aeroplanes have attacked sites in southern Ukraine from the base.

The explosions, according to Moscow, were caused by detonations of stockpiled munitions and were not the result of an assault.

According to an anonymous ministry source,  “only a violation of fire safety requirements is considered as the main reason for the explosion of several ammunition stores at the Saky airfield”.

“There are no signs, evidence or, even less, facts (to indicate) a deliberate impact on ammunition stores.” the insider stated.

However, there were reports on Ukrainian social media that the facility had been targeted by long-range missiles launched from Ukraine.

In a Telegram message, President Zelenskyy said that the fight with Russia “began with Crimea and must conclude with Crimea – with its freedom.”

“Russia has converted our peninsula, which has always been and will continue to be one of the nicest locations in Europe, into one of the most hazardous areas in Europe,” he said.

“But we will return to the Ukrainian Crimea.”

“The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine cannot identify the origin of the fire, but once again emphasises the regulations of fire safety and the ban of smoking in certain areas,” the Ukrainian defence ministry wrote in an apparent mocking Facebook post.

“We can’t rule out that the occupiers will ‘accidentally’ find some characteristic ‘insignia’, ‘visiting card’ or even ‘DNA’.”  it continued.

Russia has recorded multiple fires and explosions at ammunition storage installations on Russian territory near the Ukrainian border since the conflict started, blaming some of them on Ukrainian attacks.

Ukraine has generally remained silent.

Also on Wednesday, the UK Ministry of Defence indicated in its latest intelligence assessment that Russian commanders are expected to be conflicted between supporting Moscow’s Donbas assault and preparing defences against anticipated Ukrainian counterattacks in the south.

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