Storm Shadow Missiles May Have Hit ‘Secret’ Russian Air Defense Base in Crimea

At around 6 a.m. on the morning of Monday, May 13, several missiles, suspected to be Anglo-French Storm Shadow / SCALP air-launched cruise missiles, attacked Russian military unit 85683 on Mount Ai-Petri in Crimea. Astra Telegram reports, citing local emergency services, that facilities were damaged, the commander of the unit, Oleksandr Kulakov, and another soldier were killed, while an unknown number of other servicemen were wounded.

The mountain is home to a “secret” air defense base of the 3rd Radio Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces.

Kyiv Post reached out to Ukraine's defense and security forces for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Russia's Defense Ministry made its normal claim over such incidents that all missiles had been shot down.

Earlier, the social media site Krym.Realii reported that during Soviet times, the Radio Technical Center for Long Range Reconnaissance and Guidance of Air Defense Forces had been established at the summit of the mountain.

The ball-shaped domes, that provide protective covers and camouflage for air defense radars, often attract the attention of tourists. A nearby military camp houses maintenance and support staff for the site.

The 3rd Radio Engineering Regiment is a military formation within the radio engineering troops of the Russian aerospace forces. It was formed in 2014 following the annexation of Crimea on sites formerly part of the Ukrainian air forces 40th Radio Engineering Brigade. Its headquarters is located in Sevastopol.

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