The number of people injured by massive explosions at the Novofedorivka air base in Crimea has risen to 13, according to the Crimean Health Ministry.
One person was killed by the explosions, which took place Tuesday.
The detonations also caused damage in a nearby town, with windows blown out. High-rise buildings lost power, while shops and a cultural center were damaged, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
Russia invaded and subsequently annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
The explosions: On Tuesday, Russian state media RIA Novosti initially reported the blasts had been caused by detonated aviation ammunition “on the territory of the airfield ‘Saki'” near Novofedorivka.
Ukraine has not officially said its forces were responsible for the explosions. But an adviser to the Interior Minister, Anton Gerashchenko, said Wednesday that satellite images of the airfield hours before the attack showed there were more than 30 aircraft and helicopters there.
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian armed forces added nine aircraft to the tally of Russian military hardware they say has been destroyed.
Zelensky on Crimea: On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the war “began with Crimea and must end with Crimea — its liberation.”
“Today it is impossible to say when this will happen. But we are constantly adding the necessary components to the formula for the liberation of Crimea,” he said.
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