Massive Drone Strike Ignites Ammunition Depot at Russian Military Base in Occupied Crimea

A series of explosions and fires broke out overnight in occupied Crimea following a reported drone strike on Russian military infrastructure near the village of Perevalne, according to resistance group Crimean Wind on May 16.

Crimean Wind reported that an ammunition depot belonging to the 126th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet caught fire during the attack. Explosions were heard in the area, though official confirmation remains pending.

In response to the attack, the Russian governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev acknowledged air defense activity over the Black Sea. “The loud sounds heard in the city were the work of our military,” he said on Telegram, claiming six drones had been shot down over the water.

The Russian Ministry of Defense later reported that 65 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight—43 over the Black Sea, 21 over Crimea, and one over the Belgorod region.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian partisan movement “Atesh” stated that explosions occurred at both the 126th brigade base and the nearby 8th Separate Artillery Regiment in Perevalne.

“There are reports of Russian soldiers killed while on duty at the depot,” the group said.

According to reporting by Crimea.Realities, the targeted base contains storage facilities for ammunition, military vehicles, and likely fuel supplies. The facility has been attacked at least twice before—in March and August of 2023.

The Atesh movement also revealed that its agents monitored the base throughout the summer of 2024, gathering intelligence on the movement and storage of military equipment. At the time, the base reportedly lacked air defense systems.

In addition, Andrii Kovalenko, Head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation reported that as of 9:36 am, the Russian military storage units “were still on fire.”

Earlier, Russia came under a large-scale overnight drone attack targeting multiple high-value military targets deep in Russia, striking defense industry facilities and at least two airbases that house strategic aircraft and missiles.

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