Russia-Ukraine conflict: Blasts in Russian base in Crimea amidst Ukraine's strikes on Russian supply lines

Nearly six months into the war Russia is waging on Ukraine, the conflict appears to be spilling into the annexed region of Crimea. Blasts were seen in a Russian military base in Crimea, as Ukrainian troops are targeting Russian supply lines.

Moscow said Tuesday that saboteurs were behind the recent blasts in a Russian base in the annexed Crimea region. The blasts affected an ammunition depot at a base in the northern Crimean peninsula. This disrupted trains and forced 2,000 people to evacuate, according to Russian officials.

Another blast occurred in central Crimea at another Russian military base. The recent blasts followed last week’s explosions at an air base in western Crimea, which destroyed eight warplanes.

The Russian defense ministry said Tuesday that the blasts at the ammunition depot were caused by saboteurs as the Crimean peninsula is the main supply route for Russian forces in southern Ukraine and is where the base of Russia’s Black Sea fleet is located.

While Ukraine did not confirm or deny responsibility for the explosions in Crimea, Kyiv celebrated the setbacks faced by Russian forces. Mykhailo Podolyak, the adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak cheered for the “demilitarization,” referencing Moscow’s excuse to justify its invasion of Ukraine.

“Operation ‘demilitarization’ in the precise style of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will continue until the complete de-occupation of Ukraine’s territories,” Yermak said on the Telegram messaging platform.

Zelenskyy urged Ukrainians in his nightly address to stay away from Russian military bases or ammunition depots, explaining that the explosions have many possible causes, including incompetence.

“But they all mean the same thing – the destruction of the occupiers’ logistics, their ammunition, military, and other equipment, and command posts, saves the lives of our people,” said Zelenskyy.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will be meeting with Zelenskyy and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to Ukraine on Thursday.

Guterres is also set to visit the Black Sea port of Odesa, where grain exports resumed operations under a deal brokered by the UN.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday that Guterres would meet with Zelenskyy in Lviv in western Ukraine and discuss the situation surrounding the Zaporizhzhia power station, as well as finding a political solution to bring an end to the war.