Overnight Tuesday, February 17, a series of explosions was reported across Russian-occupied Crimea. Local social media channels and monitoring groups, including Crimean Wind, cited drone attacks, rocket strikes and activity by Russian air defenses.
Residents of Kerch and other parts of Crimea reported loud blasts, strong vibrations and flashes in the sky. The Crimean Bridge has reportedly been closed to traffic for more than seven hours.
Explosions were also reported near the Kacha and Belbek airfields. According to local channels, air defenses were likely active there as well. There were also claims of possible strikes in the Kacha airfield area.
People in the Dzhankoi, Kirovske and Krasnohvardiiske districts reported blasts and observed drones overhead. In Sevastopol, Pantsir air-defense systems engaged targets in several areas. Explosions were also heard in Feodosia and near the Saky airfield in Novofedorivka.
A powerful blast near the Kirovske airfield sounded after midnight, with additional explosions reported near the village of Donske in the Simferopol district and elsewhere in Kirovske district.
In Simferopol, some providers temporarily left residents without mobile and home internet.
At the time of publication, there were no official statements from the Russian occupation authorities.
Earlier, Ukrainian forces released footage showing strikes last week on key targets in Russian-occupied Crimea, including what they described as a Russian air-defense system, a radar station and a patrol boat.
