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Explosions across Crimea and Belgorod on 18 August 2022
Summary
A cluster of blasts at Russian-held and Russian military sites, and the strikes that preceded them, marked a tense stretch of the southern front.
What did a string of explosions on 18 August 2022 say about the reach of the war? Reports that day described blasts at military facilities in Crimea and in Russia's Belgorod Oblast, which were believed to have been launched by Ukraine.
A widening set of targets
An explosion and large fire hit an arms depot near Timonovo. Explosions were also reported at Stary Oskol Airport and in Russian-occupied Nova Kakhovka, in Kherson Oblast. Taken together, the locations stretched from occupied southern Ukraine to Russian territory.
In eastern Crimea, residents of Kerch and nearby villages reported multiple explosions. Crimean officials said air defences had been activated near the city, adding that there was no danger to the town or the Crimean Bridge.
Explosions were also reported at Sevastopol International Airport. The Governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said Russian air defences had shot down a Ukrainian Air Force drone near the airport.
The days before
The events followed an explosion on 16 August 2022 at an ammunition depot in northern Crimea, which forced the evacuation of civilians. Observers suggested at the time that Ukrainian forces may have hit the depot.
On 17 August 2022, Russia launched missile strikes on Odesa and Mykolaiv in response to sabotage bombings of military facilities in Crimea. The same day, a Russian missile hit a dormitory in Kharkiv, killing seven civilians and injuring 16, according to the city's mayor and top military administrator.
What the sequence showed
The reports pointed to a pattern across those three days: blasts at military sites in Crimea, Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian cities in the south, and civilian casualties in Kharkiv. Kharkiv lies about 30 kilometres from the Russian border and had been a major target for Russian forces early in the invasion.
On 18 August 2022, the attribution of the blasts rested on belief and on the Sevastopol governor's account of a downed drone, rather than on any confirmation. What was clear was that the military facilities in Crimea and Belgorod Oblast were the focus of repeated incidents, and that Crimean officials felt the need to say publicly that the Crimean Bridge was safe.
