- According to military sources on both sides of the conflict and photos from the site in Crimea, Ukraine fired missiles at the Black Sea Fleet’s headquarters on Friday, leaving one serviceman missing and the main structure on fire.
- Following the incident in the port city of Sevastopol, the Russian Military Ministry first claimed that one serviceman was killed before issuing a statement claiming that he was missing.
- While the majority of its summer counteroffensive makes gradual progress in the east and south of Ukraine, Ukraine has increased its targeting of naval facilities in Crimea in recent weeks, the Institute for the Study of War reported on Thursday. According to military analysts, Ukraine must continue its attacks on Crimean sites to lower Russian morale and weaken its military.
- The assault happened the day after Russia bombarded Ukrainian cities with missile and artillery strikes, killing at least five people. At the time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in Washington, D.C., meeting with congressional leaders and discussing a $24 billion aid package. In a continued campaign to increase support from Western friends, Zelenskyy was in Canada on Friday to address its Parliament.
- Mikhail Razvozhayev, the governor of Sevastopol appointed by Russia, reported that no one was hurt outside the blazing headquarters building on Friday.
- The Ukrainian military claimed responsibility for the attack. “We promised that ‘there will be more,’” Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleschuk, the air force commander, said in a social media post that thanked pilots and showed video of air sirens blazing and smoke rising from the building.