Crimea declares State of Emergency amid Ukrainian attacks on Russia
by Joe Fisher · UPIJune 26 (UPI) -- Russian authorities declared a State of Emergency in Crimea on Friday as Ukraine launched a wave of drone strikes on the region.
Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula currently under Russian control, was among about a dozen regions targeted in Ukrainian drone strikes overnight. The Russian Defense Ministry said it intercepted 660 drones.
The number of drones intercepted ultimately climbed to 706 later on Friday.
Ukraine's drone capabilities have continued to grow since the invasion by Russia in 2022. This has allowed Kyiv to expand the scope of its drone operations.
Continued attacks on the region by Ukraine have sparked massive blackouts and fuel shortages. Mikhail Razvozhayev, a governor installed by the Russian government, said that electricity restrictions remain in place.
Ukrainian forces have targeted the power infrastructure in Sevastopol on the coast of the Black Sea. Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's drone operations, said the main power substation in Sevastopol was attacked seven times on Wednesday.
Friday's attack follows Ukraine's largest drone strike on the Moscow region launched last week. That attack grounded flights from four international airports in Moscow. At least 17 people were injured and an 8-year-old girl was killed.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, though this is largely unrecognized by the international community. Russia has maintained a headquarters in Sevastopol for its Black Sea Fleet.
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Troops in landing craft approach Omaha Beach on D-Day in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. D-Day was the largest seaborne invasion in history and turned the tide of World War II. Photo by UPI | License Photo