Russia: Crimea shipyard on fire in Ukraine attack

Russian officials said Wednesday that a shipyard in Crimea caught on fire during a Ukrainian attack, wounding 24 people and damaging two ships that were being repaired.

The Russian Ministry of Defense in a statement said Ukraine fired 10 missiles at the naval shipyard in the occupied port city of Sevastopol. According to reports, it appeared to be the largest attack on the critical naval headquarters — which is home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet — since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

The attack on Crimea’s largest city was confirmed by Sevastopol Gov. Mikhail Razvozhayev on Telegram on Wednesday. He also shared a photo depicting the damage to the port.

“According to preliminary information, a total of 24 people were injured as a result of the attack. Four of them are in a moderately severe condition,” Razvozhayev wrote on Telegram, according to a translation included in Russian state media, TASS.

Razvozhayev said, according to the outlet, that the emergency services were working to address the damage in the area.

“I’m at the fire site at the southern facility of the Sevastopol Shipyard. All emergency services are working in the area,” he said. “There is no threat to the city’s civilian facilities.”

Ukrainian officials claimed credit for the attack in a statement to Reuters.

“We confirm a large landing vessel and submarine were hit. We do not comment on the means [used] for the strike,” Ukrainian military intelligence official Andriy Yusov said, according to Reuters.

The Associated Press contributed.