Ukraine: Explosions at air base in Crimea destroyed 9 Russian warplanes

Russian President Vladimir Putin.
(Image credit: Mikhail Klimentyev/AFP via Getty Images)

Ukraine said on Wednesday that nine Russian warplanes were destroyed Tuesday in explosions at the Saki air base in Crimea.

Russia has denied that an attack took place at the base, saying no planes have been damaged and claiming the explosions may have been caused by a smoker who accidentally caused ammunition to catch fire. However, satellite images published Wednesday by Planet Labs PBC show at least seven destroyed fighter planes. The explosions left one person dead and 14 injured.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.