Moscow, 3 March 2024 (dpa/MIA) – Russian air defences successfully thwarted a major Ukrainian drone attack on Crimea, downing all 38 aerial drones launched at the Russian-occupied peninsula, the Defence Ministry in Moscow reported on Sunday.

Social media reports said there had been loud explosions around Feodosia, a coastal town on the south-east of the Crimean Peninsula. There were also reports of smoke in the vicinity of an oil depot.

Moscow frequently reports successfully warding off drone attacks. The report could not be independently verified.

Russian authorities temporarily closed the Crimean Bridge across the Kerch Strait to road traffic. The bridge lies around 110 kilometres east of Feodosia.

The Crimean Peninsula was seized by Russian forces in 2014, and Russia subsequently annexed it. The annexation has not been recognized internationally, and Ukraine continues to claim the territory.