The city of Sevastopol in Crimea, Russia came under a massive Ukrainian missile attack on Sunday. Kiev’s forces used several US-made ATACMS equipped with cluster warheads in the strike, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
Most of the missiles were shot down by Russian air defenses, but one, which was also hit, veered off course and detonated over the city. The missile’s “warhead explosion mid-air led to numerous civilian casualties,” the Defense Ministry said.
According to the Russian authorities, at least four people, including two children, were killed in the incident. More than 120 civilians, including 27 children, were injured.
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23 June 2024
A criminal case on charges of terrorism has been opened following the missile attack, the Russian Investigative Committee has said.
Abandoned bags and toys – this is what the beach in Sevastopol looks like after Ukraine’s ATACMS missiles attack. Traces of blood and scattered belongings of tourists can be seen at the scene of the tragedy.
Minesweepers are clearing the beach in Sevastopol of explosives, while divers are checking the sea. The coast is completely cordoned off. Fragments of missiles armed with cluster warheads can be seen on the road to the beach. The police and special teams of the Russian Emergency Ministry and other departments are working at the location.
In footage published online, a resident of Sevastopol who was at the beach during the missile strike describes how her husband shielded her.
“We were at the beach in Uchkuevka with our relatives at that moment. I can’t find words to describe this horror and nightmare,” she said. “Everything happened in a matter of seconds. We didn’t have time to run away or hide anywhere.”
They laid face down in the sand and covered their ears, the woman said.
“My husband laid on me and covered me with himself.” Numerous people, including children, suffered in the attack, the woman went on to say, adding that she saw children covered in blood screaming.
June 24 has been declared a day of mourning in Crimea following the deadly attack, the head of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, said.
More than 20 ambulance crews are working at the scene. Doctors from other regions were also brought in to assist the wounded, including a team of specialists from the Federal Center for Disaster Medicine.
Footage from a popular Black Sea resort near Sevastopol emerged online, purportedly showing the moment that a US-supplied ATACMS missile launched by the Ukrainian army detonated in the air. The video shows people who were at the beach running in panic.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that Washington bears responsibility for the Ukrainian missile strike, since its specialists input flight missions into US missiles. The strike targeting civilians in Sevastopol will not go unanswered, the ministry added.
The death toll in the Ukrainian shelling of Sevastopol has risen to five, including three children, the city’s governor, Mikhail Razvozhaev, told reporters. At least 124 people have been injured, including 27 children, five of whom are in intensive care, Russia’s Health Ministry said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is in constant contact with local authorities, as well as the military and health officials in Sevastopol, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said earlier.