Explosions heard in Crimea overnight as Russian defence ministry claims drones downed over peninsula

In brief

• Explosions were heard in Kerch in occupied Crimea overnight on 25 October.
• Russia's defence ministry said its air defences destroyed 532 Ukrainian drones between 20:00 on 24 October and 08:00 on 25 October.
• Witnesses reported several powerful blasts and anti-aircraft fire near Kerch.

Explosions and air defence activity in Kerch

Explosions were heard in Kerch, in Russian-occupied Crimea, overnight into 25 October, and Russian air defence systems were reported to be active (Блекаут у Криму: у Севастополі запровадили графіки відключень світла – Suspilne). Witnesses told a Telegram channel that tracks the peninsula that they heard several powerful blasts in the city. They also reported that drones were shot down over the village of Hlazovka, and that a Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile-gun system was firing from the Kurortny district near Kerch.

Russian defence ministry claims

Russia's defence ministry said that between 20:00 on 24 October and 08:00 on 25 October its air defences destroyed 532 Ukrainian drones over Russia, Crimea and the Sea of Azov. The ministry's figure covers the whole period and multiple regions, so it cannot be tied to the Kerch blasts alone.

Background

The overnight attacks come days after Ukraine's General Staff said on 21 October that its forces had struck a logistics depot in the region. Ukrainian officials have not confirmed the details of the overnight strikes in the reports reviewed here.