In the temporarily occupied Crimea, explosions and a fire occurred at night near the Russian Saky military air base near the village of Novofedorivka.

Eyewitnesses among the locals heard the sounds of detonating ammunition.

Local and Russian Telegram channels reported on this.

Around 3 a.m. on July 26, the Crimean wind Telegram channel, citing local residents, reported powerful explosions at the military air base where Russian combat aircraft were based.

After the loud explosions, a fire started there and detonations were heard for some time. It is possible that an ammunition depot was hit. Locals reported seeing fire engines moving toward the air base. Videos and photos from the scene were published.

In the morning, the Russian Telegram channel Astra, citing sources in the emergency services of the temporarily annexed Crimea, reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had allegedly fired ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles at the territory of the Saky military air base near Novofedorivka that night.

As a result of the missile strike, it was reported that the ammunition had been hit and a fire had broken out. Two servicemen of the Russian army were wounded, they sustained shrapnel wounds.

In addition, the Telegram channel’s sources reported that an ATACMS missile had also hit a Russian air defense location 5 km from the village of Shovkovychne in the Saky district. As a result, a radar was destroyed.

In total, according to Astra, the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired 4 ATACMS missiles at Crimea, two of which were allegedly shot down.

After 7 a.m., Russian propagandist Ilya Tumanov, who runs the Fighterbomber aviation channel, actually confirmed the missile strike.

His message also revealed the losses among the Russian invaders’ personnel. He traditionally wrote about Russian losses: “Eternal memory…”.

The Saky military air base is one of the key air bases on the Crimean peninsula for Russian aviation. Until 2014, it was a base of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Currently, the 43rd Separate Naval Assault Aviation Regiment of the Russian Aerospace Forces is based there. This military air base mainly houses Su-30SM multirole fighters, Su-24M/MR aircraft and others, which, in particular, carry out strikes against Ukraine.