KYIV: Ukraine said on Tuesday it had hit Russian military facilities in Crimea with drones, in the latest such operation on the Moscow-annexed Black Sea peninsula. Russia said it had neutralised 35 Ukrainian drones over Crimea and the Sea of Azov, which lies between the warring countries.

Kyiv has targeted Crimea throughout Moscow’s offensive but increased attacks after it launched a counter-offensive this summer.

“SBU drones hit a number of important military facilities in Crimea,” a Ukrainian defence source with knowledge of SBU operations told the Me

He claimed the drones hit a radar system near the village of Bagerovo, which lies on the eastern end of the peninsula near the bridge built by Moscow to link it to the Russian mainland.

The source also said another radar system and an anti-aircraft missile control system were hit.

The source said the attacks were a “result of a special SBU operation”.

Moscow meanwhile said it had neutralised Ukrainian drones over the peninsula at night.

“An attempt by the Kyiv regime to commit a terrorist attack with aerial drones… was foiled last night,” the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.

It added that “22 Ukrainian drones were destroyed and 13 others were intercepted over the Sea of Azov and Crimea.”

The ministry later said another attack saw four Ukrainian drones shot down and two intercepted over the Azov Sea.

Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, hosts the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and is a key supply route for Russian forces in southern and eastern Ukraine.

It is regularly targeted by Ukrainian forces.

Newspakistan.tv/APP/AFP