Explosions in the Crimean city of Sevastopol on Sunday have sparked a heated dispute between Ukraine and Russia. Ukrainian media outlets, citing intelligence sources, reported that the blasts were the result of a joint operation by Ukrainian forces. However, Moscow-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev denied these claims, stating that everything was calm in the city and that no damage was done when Russian air defenses took down three Ukrainian drones in the area. Razvozhayev further dismissed reports of smoke in the South Bay area, attributing it to harmless aerosol camouflage used by the Black Sea Fleet.

He accused Russia's enemies of attempting to claim a false victory. Meanwhile, the planned work of Ukraine's military intelligence and navy, as reported by unnamed sources, continues unabated according to Ukrainska Pravda and Suspilne public broadcaster. These conflicting accounts have made it difficult to independently verify the events taking place in the region, including the reported explosions. However, tensions remain high as Ukraine claimed to have captured another village near Bakhmut, and there are growing concerns in Russia over the advancement of Ukrainian forces.