Explosions in Sevastopol, Yevpatoria, near Bakhchisaray, and in Zaozerne – what is happening in Crimea

Explosions have been going off in the temporarily occupied Crimean peninsula for a day now – on August 20 alone, there were known “bavovna” in Yevpatoria, near Bakhchisaray, Sevastopol, and Zaozerne.

Russian aggressors urge visitors and residents of Crimea to stay calm, while official Kyiv and the Armed Forces do not publicly comment on the explosions on the peninsula.

What has been happening in Crimea in recent days, how the occupiers are trying to explain themselves, and what experts and foreign media say about it – read the ICTV Facts piece.

Sevastopol.

For the first time, the explosion near the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet of neighboring Russia in Sevastopol became known on the morning of August 20, around 8.17.

The occupation “head” of the city, Mykhailo Razvozhayev, confirmed the incident on his social networks – he said that an unmanned aerial vehicle had been shot down by the fleet’s air defense forces.

According to him, the downed UAV “fell on the roof and caught fire, it was not hit”.

He urged residents and visitors to the city to stay calm and, at the same time, asked them to stay home as soon as possible.

At the same time, local Telegram channels published a video in which one could see gray smoke near the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

This case is repeated because, on the evening of August 19, the sounds of explosions were also heard in Sevastopol, and then the occupiers also announced the work of air defense.

Local Telegram channels reported that 9 rocket launches were heard in Sevastopol within a minute.

– I am at a workplace in the government. Just like many of the townspeople, I heard the bangs in the center. Similar sounds used to be heard in the Strelka area. The anti-aircraft defense worked in the bay. In the center is a ship art. The story is the same as yesterday, according to preliminary UAV data. Targets are affected. We keep calm. The military is doing its job perfectly, Razvozhaev wrote on his social networks.

The occupying authorities reported that they tried to shoot down the Ukrainian drone that fell today on the roof of the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation with small arms.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has yet to comment on what is happening.

Yevpatoria

On August 20, the sounds of explosions were heard in the area of ​​the village of Zaozerne near Yevpatoria.

Propaganda media in Crimea and Russia declared that this was “the work of the Russian air defense system.”

Later, this information was published by the Kremlin-controlled “head” of Crimea, Serhii Aksyonov, on his social networks.

– In Western Crimea, the anti-aircraft system has worked. Target is hit. There were no casualties or damage… I ask everyone to remain calm and trust only official information, he said.

The day before, on the evening of August 19, explosions were also heard in the sky over Yevpatoria, and reports of “air defense work” were reported.

The Ministry of Defense of Russia did not comment on these explosions either.

Bakhchisaray district

Several more explosions, according to the local public on social networks, rang out over Bakhchisaray – presumably, it was also a drone.

Oleg Kryuchkov, the adviser to the “head” of Crimea controlled by Moscow, reacted to the event which also called on everyone to “keep calm” and noted that the purpose of these attacks was “psychological”.

– The best way to help the army and Navy is to keep calm and report all suspicious people, facts, and findings to the relevant authorities, – he wrote on his social networks.

Zaozerne

Another populated place in Crimea where “bavovna” sounded was the village of Zaozerne near Yevpatoria, around 10 in the morning.

Propaganda mass media, referring to residents, wrote about the “work of air defense forces”, and the Russian-controlled Serhii Aksionov reacted to the explosions in the same way.

Unconfirmed “bavovna”

It should be noted that local media also reported on explosions in Bakhchisarai and the village of Molochne in the Sak region.

Also, on the evening of August 20, social networks reported that air defense was again operating in Crimea, this time in Olenivka in the Black Sea district. People’s deputy Oleksiy Goncharenko noted that the Odesa region was allegedly shelled from there.

Note that there is currently no confirmation of this information from other sources.

What foreign mass media write

Commenting on the explosions in Crimea, the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) notes that they have noticed a large number of exaggerated reports and falsified videos about the consequences of strikes on a Russian strategic facility.

In addition, according to ISW, they are distributed mainly by Russian sources, which experts consider a sign of growing panic among Russians.

It is emphasized that this is also indicated by the installation of roadblocks in Sevastopol, with the help of which they are trying to search for saboteurs there.

Meanwhile, the BBC notes that the strikes on the temporarily occupied Crimea seriously impacted Moscow operationally and psychologically.

In particular, this is attributed to thousands of Russian tourists, many of whom decided to flee back to Russia and watched the explosions on the Crimean peninsula, which was previously considered inaccessible to Ukrainian attacks.

The publication added that Western officials, who spoke to journalists on the condition of anonymity, said that the Russian Black Sea Fleet has now shrunk to the size of a coastal flotilla, which is forced to exercise caution against the background of Ukrainian attacks.

In addition, according to them, the ability of the Russian Federation to storm the Odesa port in the short term has become extremely unlikely.

The British Ministry of Defense claims that the Kremlin’s plans were undermined by the inability of the Russian Navy to take complete control of the Black Sea – now, the Black Sea Fleet has taken an “extremely defensive” position and remains near the coast of Crimea.

What military experts say

Military expert and analyst at the National Institute for Strategic Studies Mykola Belskov told ICTV Facts in a commentary that the most important thing about the bombings that continue to take place in Crimea is that it is the far rear of the Kherson grouping, and plus, there is psychological pressure.

– This is a very, very powerful opportunity to influence attitudes and perceptions. Even if these or other actions do not weaken the ability of Russians to hold positions in the South, a media picture is very right, especially when the Russians who are illegally there made it clear that they will not be safe in the Crimea,” the expert explained.

He added that Russian citizens now understand that there will be no such thing as Ukraine being under attack while they are lounging in the sun and enjoying themselves.

At the same time, the head of the Center for Military and Legal Studies, Oleksandr Musiyenko, argues that the “bavovna” in occupied Crimea was made possible by strikes on the PGO radars and arsenals on the right and left banks of the Kherson region.

– I think this is a continuation of the destruction of military infrastructure in Crimea, which continues to be transferred then to the South of Ukraine, where it is used for war against the Ukrainian people,” he said on one of the Ukrainian TV channels.

The expert added that it also demonstrates miscalculations, that Russian air defenses are not as good as Russian propaganda tries to show, and that Crimea is not an impregnable militarized aircraft carrier.

– The strikes that Russia misses also have an image and reputational side. After all, it is also essential to boost confidence in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the defense forces, so that they implement strategies and gradually pull the initiative over to themselves,” Musiyenko summarized.

According to military expert Serhiy Grabskiy, the liberation of Crimea has just begun – this process will take months, if not years. After all, the peninsula is a springboard for strikes on Ukraine’s South, and the loss of Crimea would be a disaster for Russia as a state.

– We remember how long the idea of “the impregnable fortress of Sevastopol,” the pride of “Russian glory,” etc., was pedaled, which is untrue. This propaganda binge is firmly planted in the heads of Russians, and therefore the loss of Crimea for them could lead to unintended consequences within the Russian Federation itself,” Grabskiy said.

Military expert, Oleh Zhdanov, for his part, said on one of the Ukrainian channels that a kamikaze drone could have operated in Crimea on August 20.

– The question is who launched it. After all, we know that a kamikaze drone can fly up to 80 km. What they say that it was shot down is not true. It purposely, judging by the video, hit the roof of a building. This says that it was controlled,” said the expert.

Zhdanov added that apparently, “someone is letting the occupants know that the ground will burn under their feet … and that their time (in Crimea, – Ed.) is over.”

Russians’ reaction to explosions in Crimea and Sevastopol

The media published a video showing a several-kilometer traffic jam on the way to Yalta from Sevastopol, where explosions have been heard for the second day.

Meanwhile, a video was published from Yevpatoria showing a frightened Russian woman using foul language, saying that “we should get out of Crimea”.

She filmed explosions in the sky over the city and said she “doesn’t know what will happen in the morning.”

Photo: collage Fakty ICTV