Two Dead in Ukrainian Missile Attack, Head of Russia-Annexed Crimea Says 

This photo taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, May 17, 2024, shows what it claims is destruction of a Ukrainian sea drone in the Black Sea, Crimea. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
This photo taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, May 17, 2024, shows what it claims is destruction of a Ukrainian sea drone in the Black Sea, Crimea. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
TT

Two Dead in Ukrainian Missile Attack, Head of Russia-Annexed Crimea Says 

This photo taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, May 17, 2024, shows what it claims is destruction of a Ukrainian sea drone in the Black Sea, Crimea. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
This photo taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, May 17, 2024, shows what it claims is destruction of a Ukrainian sea drone in the Black Sea, Crimea. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

The head of the Russia-annexed Crimea peninsula said a Ukrainian missile attack killed two people near Simferopol, the peninsula's main administrative center.

Sergei Aksyonov, writing on Telegram, also said a Ukrainian missile had struck an empty building near Alushta on the peninsula's Black Sea coast.

Separately, the TASS news agency cited Russia's defense ministry as saying that air defenses had intercepted three ATACMS missiles over Crimea, and that the military had destroyed three Ukrainian sea drones headed toward the peninsula.

Ukraine has not issued an official comment.

Ukrainian military bloggers and unofficial media reported a number of targets had been hit throughout the peninsula.

Krymsky Veter, an online news outlet dealing with Crimea, posted a video of what it described as an explosion and fire in Alushta, and said ambulances were heading to the scene.

News outlet RBK-Ukraine reported, without citing a source, that explosions had occurred in three other centers and said targets could have included headquarters for the coastguard or intelligence centers.

Russian bloggers on the peninsula said they believed that not all incoming missiles had been intercepted.



Romania Scrambles Fighter Jets Second Time This Week over Breach of Airspace

Two Romanian military jet pilots fly their F16 Falcons during a demo flight following the opening ceremony for the European F-16 Training Center, held at the 86th Air Base "Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociornita", in Borcea, Romania, 13 November 2023. (EPA)
Two Romanian military jet pilots fly their F16 Falcons during a demo flight following the opening ceremony for the European F-16 Training Center, held at the 86th Air Base "Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociornita", in Borcea, Romania, 13 November 2023. (EPA)
TT

Romania Scrambles Fighter Jets Second Time This Week over Breach of Airspace

Two Romanian military jet pilots fly their F16 Falcons during a demo flight following the opening ceremony for the European F-16 Training Center, held at the 86th Air Base "Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociornita", in Borcea, Romania, 13 November 2023. (EPA)
Two Romanian military jet pilots fly their F16 Falcons during a demo flight following the opening ceremony for the European F-16 Training Center, held at the 86th Air Base "Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociornita", in Borcea, Romania, 13 November 2023. (EPA)

Romania raised fighter jets early on Saturday for the second time this week after an unidentified object breached its airspace by the Black Sea, the Ministry of Defense said.

The small object was detected over the Black Sea moving toward Romania, a European Union and NATO member, at around 2:30 a.m, the ministry said in a statement.

Romania shares a 650-kilometer (400-mile) border with Ukraine and has previously complained over Russian drones entering its airspace as Moscow attacks Ukrainian targets along the Black Sea and Danube River. Fragments of Russian drones have also been repeatedly found on Romanian territory near the Ukrainian border.

Two F-18 jets of the Spanish Air Force and two F-16s of the Romanian Air Force were dispatched but did not spot the target, which disappeared from the radar, the ministry said.

Two Spanish F-18s and two Romanian F-16s also were dispatched on Thursday in a similar incident.