“Russia retaliates Ukraine attack on Crimea”, Defense Ministry

In a statement, the ministry said the Russian forces launched retaliatory strikes at objects in the Odessa region using high-precision sea-based weapons, Russian media outlets reported.

The attack targeted facilities that were used to prepare “terrorist acts” against Russia involving unmanned drones, as well as the shipyard in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa that produced them, it said.

The statement added that the targets were hit, as fires and detonations were recorded after the strikes.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had thwarted an attempt by Kiev to carry out a terrorist attack on Crimea using 28 drones.
It came a day after an attack on the Crimean Bridge, which claimed two civilian lives and left one child injured.

Moscow blamed Ukraine for the attack, saying the assault took place under the auspices of the United States and Britain.

“Today’s attack on the Crimean bridge was carried out by the Kiev regime. This regime is terrorist and has all the hallmarks of an international organized crime group,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Monday.

“Decisions are made by Ukrainian officials and the military with the direct participation of American and British intelligence agencies and politicians.

The US and Britain are in charge of a terrorist state structure,” she added.

Last October, Russia blamed Ukraine for a similar attack on the bridge, saying it was organized by Ukrainian military intelligence and its director, Kyrylo Budanov.

Ukraine, however, admitted only indirectly to the attack months later.

Russian President Vladimir Putin then ordered repairs to the Crimea bridge, and later, he even drove a vehicle across it.

The bridge, constructed on the orders of Putin, had been inaugurated in 2018, four years after Crimea voted in a referendum to become part of Russia.