Kiev and Moscow, conflicting statements on the explosion in Dzhankoi, Crimea

2023-03-21 17:20:21, Kosova & Bota CNA

Kiev and Moscow, conflicting statements on the explosion in Dzhankoi, Crimea

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Russian and Ukrainian officials issued conflicting statements on Tuesday over an attack on a train carrying Russian missiles being delivered to the occupied Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.

A spokeswoman for the Ukrainian military said that Kiev was behind the explosion that occurred on Monday night, which reportedly destroyed several Kalibr missiles, near the town of Dzhankoi in northern Crimea, without giving further details.

The spokeswoman for Ukraine's southern operational command, Natalia Humeniuk, described the attack as a signal to Russia that it should leave Crimea, a region Moscow seized in 2014.

Në një deklaratë të paqartë të agjencisë ushtarake ukrainase të zbulimit të hënën thuhej se ishin shkatërruar një numër i madh raketash për nëndetëse, që po transportoheshin me tren, por pa thënë qartë se Ukraina ishte përgjegjëse apo se çfarë arme ishte përdorur për sulmin.

Megjithatë, agjencia la të kuptohej se Kievi qëndronte pas shpërthimit, duke thënë se kjo ngjarje nxit "procesin e çmilitarizimit të Rusisë dhe po përgatit çlirimin e Krimesë, një gadishull i Ukrainës.

Por autoritetet e instaluara nga Moska në Krime ofruan të martën një version tjetër mbi ngjarjen, duke thënë se dronët ukrainas kishin sulmuar objektet civile në Dzhankoi. Sergei Aksenov, zyrtari i lartë i emëruar nga Kremlini në Krime, tha se sulmi la një civil të plagosur, por nuk shkaktoi dëme serioze.

Mr Aksenov's adviser, Oleg Kryuchkov, rejected Kiev's claims and said the Ukrainian drones had targeted residential areas and not the railway. Igor Ivin, head of the local administration in Dzhankoi, said the attack damaged power lines, a house, a shop and a college building. Unconfirmed reports on social media circulating late Monday night said Russia's anti-aircraft systems had shot down a large number of drones over Crimea. However, none of the statements or announcements could be verified by independent sources.

Since the beginning of the war, there have been reports of attacks on Russian military bases and other infrastructure facilities in Crimea, but Ukraine, although it welcomes them, rarely takes responsibility clearly./ VOA