On the night of October 17, a series of powerful explosions rocked occupied Crimea. According to the local Telegram channel " Krymskiy Veter ," at around 2:40 a.m., drones attacked an oil depot in the village of Gvardeyskoye, near Simferopol. The impacts caused a massive fire, the glow from which was visible from the outskirts of the city.
Eyewitnesses reported that the fire engulfed fuel tanks. It was later revealed that the affected facility belonged to the ATAN gas station chain, which is part of Kedr, the peninsula's largest fuel market operator. The company owns over 100 gas stations, as well as oil depots and a fleet of fuel tankers.
Around 6:20 a.m., users reported two new explosions in Simferopol and the surrounding area, and a few minutes later, two more thundered. Two columns of smoke rose above the city—one from the oil depot in Gvardeyskoye, the other, presumably, from the area of Simferopol Airport or a military airfield.
“The glow is visible for tens of kilometers, the smoke is visible from any point in the Crimean capital,” writes Krymskiy Veter.
Additionally, explosions were heard overnight in Saki and Novofedorovka, where a military airfield is located. Local public groups report that classes in Yevpatoriya have been cancelled today, and there is no electricity or water supply.
UPDATED: Crimea's occupation leader, Sergei Aksyonov, confirmed that several electrical substations were damaged in the drone attack.
"Repair work is currently underway. More details about the completion date of repairs and the power supply will be announced later on the official websites of the Government of the Republic of Crimea," Aksyonov stated.