A Ukrainian drone strike has hit Russia's Navy headquarters deep in occupied Crimea and caused a huge explosion, according to Crimean officials.
The attack on the Black Sea Fleet’s headquarters in Sevastopol is the latest in a string of mystery blasts on the occupied peninsula, believed to be inflicted by Ukrainian forces.
Russian state media, Interfax, claimed that a drone "fell" on the roof of the headquarters and was shot down.
Mikhail Razvozhaev, the Governor of Sevastopol, wrote on his Telegram channel: "They shot down a UAV right above the headquarters of the fleet. It fell on the roof and caught fire. There was no defeat."
Earlier, he said that there were no casualties or major damage. The entrances to the building are closed.
The strike is the latest setback for the Black Sea fleet in the six-month war against Ukraine and is the latest in a string of blasts at military bases and ammunition depots in the past week in Crimea.
Four explosions were reported to have hit the Belbek air base near Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula late on Thursday.
The series of explosions erupting across occupied Crimea is part of a seeming campaign against Russian logistics and airfields behind the frontlines.
Sevastopol is at the southern tip of Crimea and is located hundreds of miles from the frontlines. Hitting targets behind the frontline could disrupt the supply lines Moscow desperately needs.
The Ukrainian government is yet to take responsibility for the recent spate of strikes.
Crimea was previously thought to be well beyond the reach of any Ukrainian attack and so the uptick in attacks has had a psychological effect on Moscow, officials told the media.
Rob Lee, a military expert on Twitter, said the reported footage of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that struck the Black Sea Fleet’s headquarters, looks like "the same kind of UAV used to strike the oil facility in Rostov in June."
Ukraine sank the flagship of the Black Sea fleet, the Moskva cruiser, in a missile strike in April which was a huge blow to the Kremlin's forces.
More than half of the combat jets in the Russian navy’s Black Sea fleet were annihilated in blasts last week at the Saky military airfield in western Crimea, shocking the Kremlin who always thought this was a secure area.
A source said: "They've lost their flagship Moskva, they lost Snake Island, they lost half of their naval aviation package and their military headquarters was struck. I think we can assume attacks by Ukrainians behind enemy lines."
UK defence officials also said that the Kremlin's plans have been "undermined" by the navy's failure to assume full control over the Black Sea.
