Russian Official Says Ukraine Strike on Crimea Kills Three

A Ukrainian drone strike on Crimea killed three people on Monday, according to a Russian official, as tensions continue in the region annexed by Moscow in 2014 following a referendum rejected by Western nations.

Sergey Aksyonov, the Kremlin-backed head of Crimea, reported that Ukraine had targeted the resort town of Foros, damaging the grounds of a sanatorium and a school building.

“According to updated data, three people were killed and 16 were wounded as a result of the UAV attack,” Aksyonov said on Telegram.

Fragments of the downed drone reportedly sparked a fire near the coastal city of Yalta, he added.

Russia’s defence ministry described the strike as a “terrorist attack”, initially reporting two fatalities.

Ukraine stated that Moscow had conducted 46 air strikes on its territory as of 22:00 (19:00 GMT) on Sunday.

Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014 following a controversial referendum, which the international community widely condemned. Russia has since demanded that Kyiv and Western countries formally recognise Crimea as Russian territory.

Ukrainian forces frequently target the heavily fortified peninsula, including the bridge connecting Crimea to the Russian mainland.

After meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin last month, US President Donald Trump said that Ukraine would not be able to regain Crimea under any peace agreement.

Progress towards a truce has since stalled, despite the previous diplomatic efforts, which also included a separate meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

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