Ukraine says it hit two Russian military targets in occupied Crimea

Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk posted a video from social media on the Telegram messenging app showing smoke rising from an explosion near Sevastopol, a Crimean port that serves as the main headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet. "Thanks again to the air force pilots and everyone who planned the operation for perfect combat work," he said.

(Adds details on the targets throughout) KYIV, Jan 4 (Reuters) -

Ukraine said on Thursday its air force conducted a strike on a Russian command post near the occupied city of Sevastopol more than 200 km from Kyiv-held territory, and also hit a military unit in a separate strike on the Crimean peninsula. Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk posted a video from social media on the Telegram messenging app showing smoke rising from an explosion near Sevastopol, a Crimean port that serves as the main headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet.

"Thanks again to the air force pilots and everyone who planned the operation for perfect combat work," he said. He also published a screenshot of a social media post saying that a Russian military base in the city of Yevpatoria had been hit in a strike.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, described the attack as "the most massive in recent times". One person was hospitalized after a piece of shrapnel struck a house, he wrote on Telegram.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports. Russia's defence ministry said its forces had foiled a Ukrainian attack, destroying 10 incoming missiles over the peninsula.

The Strategic Communications Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said a Russian command post had been hit at 15:00 (13:00 GMT) near Sevastopol. Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on the Crimean peninsula, which was seized and annexed by Moscow in 2014, seeking to destroy Russian military capabilities and force its fleet to pull back from the Black Sea.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Kyiv has managed to seize the initiative from Russia in the area.

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