London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 24, 2025

Crimea blasts significantly hit Russian navy, says UK

Crimea blasts significantly hit Russian navy, says UK

Blasts at a Russian-operated airfield in Crimea this week have "significantly degraded" its navy's Black Sea fleet, the UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) says.
The Saky base in the west of Russian-ruled Crimea was rocked by a string of blasts on Tuesday, killing one person.

The blasts led to the loss of eight Russian combat jets, the MoD said in its daily intelligence update.

Ukraine has not claimed responsibility, but satellite images suggest the possibility of a targeted attack.

The cause of the blasts is unclear, but at least five fighter-bombers and three multi-role jets were "almost certainly destroyed or seriously damaged", the statement says.

The loss of eight combat jets will make only a minor dent in Moscow's overall fleet of aircraft, but will be a significant setback to the Russian Navy's Black Sea fleet, it says.

"The fleet's naval aviation capability is now significantly degraded," the ministry adds.

The Saky fleet is used to engage Ukrainian fighters in southern Ukraine and probably carries out assessment work further east.

Some of the bombers travelled from the base to Mariupol, the port city largely destroyed by Russian shelling, before it fell into Moscow's hands in May.

Russia denied that any of its aircraft were damaged in the blasts, but satellite images suggest otherwise.

This is the second major blow to Russia's Black Sea fleet. In April, its flagship missile cruiser, the Moskva, sank after being "seriously damaged".

Ukraine said it struck the vessel with its Neptune missiles, while Moscow claimed ammunition on board exploded in an unexplained fire.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has told officials to stop talking to reporters about Kyiv's military tactics in the wake of the Crimea blasts.

The New York Times and Washington Post have cited unidentified officials as saying Ukrainian forces were responsible, but its defense minister has suggested that careless Russian soldiers could be to blame.

"War is definitely not the time for vanity and loud statements. The fewer details you divulge about our defense plans, the better it will be for the implementation of those defense plans," Zelensky said in an evening address.

Any attack by Ukraine inside Crimea would be seen as an escalation of the war. Russia sounded a warning last month when ex-President Dmitry Medvedev threatened that "Judgement Day will instantly await" if Ukraine targeted Crimea.

Aside from Crimea, Zelensky urged the international community to act immediately to "chase out" Russian troops from the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - the biggest in Europe.

"Only the Russians' full withdrawal... would guarantee nuclear safety for all of Europe," he added, condemning "Russian nuclear blackmail".

Staff at the occupied plant have described to the BBC being kept at gunpoint while Russian troops use it as a military base.

Elsewhere, the Turkish defense ministry says the first shipment of Ukrainian wheat to leave the country since Russia's invasion has set sail bound for Turkey. It was one of two ships to leave Ukraine's Black Sea ports on Friday.

A total of 14 ships have made it past Russia's naval blockade under a UN-brokered deal with Moscow.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
×