Ukrainian Navy comments on strike at beach in Crimea: Video shows only fragments of Russian rocket

Photo: Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy (facebook.com/Taclbery)

Russia accused Ukraine of a "rocket strike on a beach in Crimea" on June 23. In reality, debris from a Russian missile fell there, according to a statement by Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk.

He emphasized that Ukrainian defenders did not target the beach in Crimea as claimed by Russia. If it had been a deliberate attack, there would have been significantly more casualties.

"This is the only important conclusion. From the data available online, even those published by Russians themselves, you can only see details of a missile from the Russian Federation's air defense system. It is unique. We do not have such principles in Ukraine's arsenal," noted the Navy spokesperson.

He also pointed out that all known casualties so far were not residents of Crimea.

What preceded

On June 23 in Crimea, loud explosions were heard. The Russians claimed that they had allegedly "repelled an attack, but debris fell on a beach in Sevastopol." Later, the occupying authorities reported that "5 people were killed and more than 100 were injured" as a result of the attack.

Immediately, Ukraine was accused of the strike. Russian propagandists wrote that a missile ATACMS was allegedly used for the strike.