Today, January 31, at least five powerful explosions rang out in occupied Sevastopol. Later, the Russian administration said that air defense was working there.
Monitoring channels reported a hit at the Belbek airfield, where combat aircraft are based. Local Telegram channels published photos and videos taken by residents. The pictures showed a thick column of smoke from the area of the airfield, local residents said about a fire at the airfield.
At 18:39, the Ministry of Defense of Russia announced a missile attack: 17 Ukrainian air missiles were allegedly shot down over the Black Sea and three more over Crimea. Debris fell on the military unit near the village of Lyubimivka, where the airfield is located, the department assured. Aviation was allegedly not affected.
After that, a short message appeared in the Telegram channel of the commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykola Oleschuk. He actually confirmed the attack on the airfield.
Oleschuk said that "Ukrainian aviators will definitely return home to their native airfield," and thanked everyone "who participated in the cleansing of Crimea" from the occupiers.
- Earlier on January 31, explosions rang out in Sevastopol, near Sak, Feodosia, Rozdilny and Gvardiysky. The occupation authorities then declared an air alert and blocked traffic on the Crimean bridge.