Update (1136 EST): Satellite imagery reportedly shows the airfield before the explosions. Now Ukrainian military officials have reportedly confirmed to media that their forces were behind the attack.
Update (1023 EST): Russian Defense Ministry confirms detonation of aviation munitions in storage caused explosions. They did not clarify what caused the detonation. They also said no casualties have been reported:
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“August 9, at about 15:20, on the territory of the Saki airfield near the settlement of Novofedorovka, several aviation munitions detonated on a bunded storage site,” the ministry said.
According to the Ministry of Defense, there were no casualties as a result of the explosion, aviation equipment was not damaged. “Measures are being taken to extinguish the fire and find out the causes of the explosion. According to a report from the site, there was no fire impact on the bunded ammunition storage area at the airfield,” they added. There was no fire impact on the bunded ammunition storage area at the Saki airfield, the ministry said.
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— ????????? ???????? (@M_Simonyan) August 9, 2022
Crimea residents report they did not see a missile or hear an incoming round before the explosion, fueling speculation that HIMARs was used in todays strike.
Video of explosion at Saky airbase in Russian-controlled Crimea, 200+km from the frontline nearest positions. Looks like possible fuel storage or ammunition was targeted by a strike by unknown munitions. pic.twitter.com/BDUX3EPa9M
— ELINT News (@ELINTNews) August 9, 2022
VK users are reporting several large explosions at the Novofedorivka Air Base in Crimea moments ago. This is developing.
It is located about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of the regional centre of Saky, and about 70 kilometres (43 mi) north of Sevastopol. Formerly a base of Soviet Naval Aviation as “Saky-4”, it came under the Ukrainian Navy control with the breakup of the Soviet Union. It was captured by Russian forces without resistance on March 22, 2014.
The base is home to the 43rd Independent Naval Assault Aviation Regiment which fly the Su-30SM, Su-24M/MR and reportedly conducted the initial strikes on Snake Island.
The base has two, parallel, southwest–northeast runways, a smaller east–west carrier landing facility, and an extensive dispersal complex to the north and west. The main base hangars and workshops are to the west of the runway complex.
The carrier take-off trainer faces northeast on the northern parallel runway. The carrier landing trainer is on the southwest end of that runway. (Wiki)
