Russia claims to have shot down a ballistic missile launched by Ukraine over the Crimean peninsula. The missile was launched with Ukraine’s Grim-2 system, and Russia said that there were no casualties or damage. The governor of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, announced the news on social media. His advisor, Oleg Kryuchkov, later said that two such missiles were shot down, according to Russian news agencies. The claims could not be independently verified by AFP.
This marks the second time that Russia has confirmed a Grim missile being neutralized over Crimea, with the first reported case happening in April. Experts suggest that Ukraine’s recent uptick in drone incursions and train sabotage are part of preparations for an expected spring offensive. Moscow has denounced Ukrainian “sabotage” as part of an “unprecedented momentum,” but Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for any of the incidents.
