(WatchDogReport.org) – Russian authorities said that the Ukrainian military executed a massive drone attack on Crimea during the morning hours of May 17, destroying a refinery in southern Russia and causing power outages in Sevastopol. The Ukrainian government hasn’t made any comment about the attack, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces hasn’t claimed responsibility for the drone operation so far.
In a statement, Russia’s Defense Ministry detailed that air defenses neutralized 44 Ukrainian drones in the Krasnodar region, six in Belgorod, and 51 in Crimea. The ministry also said that Russian patrol boats and fighter jets took down six other Ukrainian sea drones moving through the Black Sea.
Sevastopol’s Governor Mikhail Razbozhayev said in a press conference that the attack carried out by Ukraine caused chaos in the city. He added that local authorities will probably take a couple of days to properly restore energy supplies after the destruction of the main power plants. He also called on all citizens to “Resist” the time they will have without electricity, as the government will have to cut power in some parts of Sevastopol for a couple of hours every day until the power system is restored. He added that school classes would be suspended temporarily and said that “communal solidarity” would be the key to going through such “hard times.”
Experts said that the drone raids came at a strategic moment for the Ukrainian military as it represents a successful and efficient military operation at a time when Moscow keeps executing its offensive in Ukraine’s northeastern region.
Geopolitical analyst Nacho Montes de Oca explained that the drone attack was good for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in terms of “sending a message” at a time when the military is waiting for delayed deliveries of ammo and weapons. He added that the attack could also force Ukraine’s Western allies to hasten their deliveries to prevent the Russians from gaining more territories in the short term.
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