Russian Official Accuses Ukraine of Using 'Storm Shadow' Missiles to Attack Sevastopol, Crimea

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed mayor of Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula, stated that air defense units stationed in the port of Sevastopol shot down over 20 Ukrainian drones this morning, and that the Ukrainian military also used 'Storm Shadow' missiles. Russia illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula, which belongs to Ukraine, in 2014. Reuters reported that Razvozhayev stated via the messaging app Telegram today that preliminary data indicates no injuries, but multiple buildings, including a local office of the Central Bank and an eight-story apartment building, were damaged. The 'Storm Shadow' missile is a weapon jointly developed by France and the UK. Russia has previously summoned the British and French ambassadors to protest Ukraine's use of such weapons. Ukraine has not yet commented on this wave of attacks. The Ukrainian military stated on the 25th that it had used 'Storm Shadow' missiles to destroy a Russian command, control, and communications hub in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine. Additionally, in the southern Russian port city of Taganrog, east of the Russia-Ukraine border, Mayor Svetlana Kambulova stated on Telegram that two people were injured this morning after a missile was shot down. The Russian Interfax news agency, citing the Ministry of Defense, reported that Russia shot down 140 drones overnight. On the Ukrainian side, local authorities stated on Telegram that Russian attacks on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia over the past 24 hours resulted in 15 injuries, with another 6 injured in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that since 6:00 PM local time yesterday (15:00 GMT), Russia has launched 163 drones toward Ukraine. Reuters could not independently verify the military activity reports.