3 March 2024, 10:20 GMTUpdated 34 mins agoImage caption, The Kerch bridge – which hyperlinks Crimea and Russia – used to be quickly closed following the attackA sequence of explosions have rocked Crimea, after a reported Ukrainian drone assault at the peninsula which used to be annexed by way of Russia in 2014.Video posted on-line displays a blast allegedly close to a gas depot within the south-eastern town of Feodosiya. Russian officers stated 38 drones were shot down. The Kerch bridge which connects Crimea with Russia used to be quickly closed. The assault comes as Ukraine continues to induce allies to spice up hands provides.Russian troops have not too long ago made beneficial properties in Ukraine as Kyiv struggles to maintain its forces with Western-made hands. Moscow took regulate remaining month of the important thing jap the town of Avdiivka.On the other hand, in line with British army intelligence, this has come at an enormous value. In its newest replace, it stated February were the deadliest for the Russians because the get started of the full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022 – with 983 killed and wounded consistent with day. “These days, Russia has extremely most probably misplaced over 355,000 workforce killed or wounded all the way through the Ukraine struggle,” it stated. It isn’t transparent how the determine used to be reached.Russia does now not supply a document of casualties. A couple of days in the past, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stated Ukraine had misplaced 31,000 troops since February 2022. Russia has now not reported any injury from the most recent assault on Crimea, even though eyewitnesses have reported home windows shaking and automobile alarms going off. Kyiv has now not showed its forces had been concerned.On Saturday, a Russian drone hit a block of apartments within the Ukrainian town of Odesa, killing a minimum of 10 other folks, together with 3 sons and daughters.On Sunday, Russia centered the southern Kherson area, killing one individual and injuring some other 3, in line with Ukrainian officers.Russian forces have introduced 1000’s of Iranian-made drones at Ukrainian goals since they invaded the rustic greater than two years in the past.In retaliation Ukraine has centered Russian websites, particularly oil amenities.On Saturday a drone struck a residential development in St Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest town. About 100 other folks had been evacuated and there have been no reviews of casualties.Symbol supply, Getty ImagesImage caption, Russia has been the use of Iran-supplied drones as Ukraine suffers from a dwindling of Western hands suppliesWith its airbases, troop concentrations, coaching grounds and the Black Sea fleet, Crimea has been a key goal for the Ukrainians.At one level remaining 12 months, it used to be concept that it meant to release a full-scale assault to retake the peninsula.Specifically, Ukraine has many times hit Russia’s Black Sea fleet. Satellite tv for pc photographs remaining 12 months confirmed lots of the Crimea-based warships had left the peninsula for the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.Remaining month, the Russian touchdown send Caesar Kunikov used to be sunk off the coast of Crimea, in line with Ukraine’s military.Its sister send Novocherkassk used to be hit whilst in port in Feodosiya in December remaining 12 months.In one of the most largest moves at the Black Sea fleet, remaining September Ukraine attacked naval goals and port infrastructure, the use of as many as 10 missiles and 3 unmanned boats. It led to a big hearth at a Sevastopol shipyard.Ukraine has additionally centered the Kerch bridge a number of occasions as it’s the most important resupply course for Russian forces occupying portions of the rustic’s south.Kyiv has many times stated it plans to retake Crimea and all territories seized by way of Russia.Ukraine is seriously depending on guns provides from the USA and different Western allies to stay preventing Russia – a far larger army power with an abundance of hands and artillery.Ukrainian troops had been operating out of ammunition as supporters of former US President Donald Trump in Congress refuse to approve a $61bn (£48bn) army help package deal.
