The number of people injured in the explosions at the airfield near the Crimean town of Novofedorovka has risen to 13, according to the Crimean Ministry of Health.
One of them is in hospital with injuries of moderate severity. The day before, it was reported that one person had died as a result of the explosions.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the explosions were a detonation of ammunition at the depot: “There was no projectile impact on the bunded area where ammunition is stored at the airfield.” The Russian Defense Ministry stated that no aviation equipment was damaged as a result of the explosion. At the same time, the following footage has surfaced online:
The New York Times published a piece citing a “Ukrainian military source,” from which it follows that the explosions may have been caused by an AFU attack:
“This was an air base from which planes regularly took off for attacks against our forces in the southern theater,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters. The official would not disclose the type of weapon used in the attack, saying only that “a device exclusively of Ukrainian manufacture was used.” According to the source, partisans could have been involved in the attack on the airfield.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) say that the Ukrainian army might have struck the airfield with Neptun anti-ship missiles, but there is no confirmation of this theory. The analysts emphasize that the explosions occurred simultaneously in different spots, which rules out the version of an accidental fire, but does not rule out the possibility of sabotage or a missile strike.