Drone Attacks Russia's Black Sea Fleet HQ, Cancels Naval Day Honors

This was probably sent by insurgents close to or in Crimea, where the Russian fleet is headquartered. 

It was a message, meant to be demoralizing, suggesting that Ukrainian advances now threaten Russia's control of the Crimean peninsula. JL 

Susie Blann reports in ABC News:

A small explosive device carried by a makeshift drone blew up Sunday at the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet on the Crimean Peninsula, wounding six people and prompting the cancellation of ceremonies honoring Russia's navy. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the drone explosion at the naval headquarters. But the improvised, small-scale nature of the attack raised the possibility that it was the work of Ukrainian insurgents trying to drive out Russian forces. Sevastopol is about 170 kilometers (100 miles) south of the Ukrainian mainland.

A small explosive device carried by a makeshift drone blew up Sunday at the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet on the Crimean Peninsula, wounding six people and prompting the cancellation of ceremonies honoring Russia's navy, authorities said.

Meanwhile, one of Ukraine's richest men, a grain merchant, was killed in what Ukrainian authorities said was a carefully targeted Russian missile strike on his home.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the drone explosion at the naval headquarters. But the seemingly improvised, small-scale nature of the attack raised the possibility that it was the work of Ukrainian insurgents trying to drive out Russian forces.

The blast took place in the port city of Sevastopol in Crimea, which was seized from Ukraine by Russia in 2014. Observances of Russia's Navy Day holiday were canceled in Sevastopol.

The Black Sea Fleet's press service said the drone appeared to be homemade. It described the explosive device as “low-power.” Sevastopol Mayor Mikhail Razvozhaev said six people were wounded.

It was unclear where the drone began its flight. Sevastopol is about 170 kilometers (100 miles) south of the Ukrainian mainland, and Russian forces control much of the mainland area along the Black Sea.

In the wake of the explosion, Crimean authorities raised the terrorism threat level for the region to “yellow,” the second-highest tier. However, a Russian lawmaker from Crimea, Olga Kovitidi, told Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti that conclusions about the attack cannot be drawn until an investigation is complete.

Ukraine's navy and an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the reported drone attack underlined the weakness of Russian air defenses.

“Did the occupiers admit the helplessness of their air defense system? Or their helplessness in front of the Crimean partisans?” Oleksiy Arestovich said on Telegram.

If such an attack is possible by Ukraine, he said, “the destruction of the Crimean bridge in such situations no longer sounds unrealistic” — a reference to the span that Russia built to connect its mainland to Crimea after the annexation.