On June 8, Russian transport company Grand Service Express announced a temporary suspension of passenger train services in occupied Crimea due to a drone attack that damaged a locomotive.
The incident involved Train No. 68, which operates between Moscow and Simferopol. While passengers were unharmed, the assistant engineer was killed, and the train driver sustained injuries. Authorities evacuated all passengers from trains operating in the Crimean peninsula.
According to the company, passengers from three trains that had departed for Crimea from Moscow and Saint Petersburg on June 6 are being transported to Simferopol by bus.
Reports from the Radio Free Europe project Crimea.Realities indicate that Crimea and Sevastopol were under drone attack during the night and morning of June 8, with air raid alerts issued and significant explosions reported near military airfields, oil depots, and electrical substations.
The Telegram channel Crimean Wind, citing its subscribers, detailed multiple explosions targeting military airfields. Notable incidents included an explosion near the Sakhi airfield at 22:29 and another at the Kacha airfield at 23:01.
Further reports indicated strong explosions in various locations, including Gvardeyske near Simferopol at 23:25, Chervonohvardiyske at 00:57, and near the Simferopol railway station at 01:41. Additional explosions were noted in Feodosia and Sevastopol shortly after.
Crimean Wind later specified that on June 7 at 22:57, a strike hit a railway electrical substation in Gvardeyske, causing blue sparks and a loud crackling sound, with a transformer reportedly burning for an extended period. This substation is crucial for powering train operations and other key infrastructure.
In Gvardeyske, the channel reported three strikes on the ATAN oil depot.
Neither Ukrainian nor Russian military officials have commented on the situation in Crimea and Sevastopol. Due to ongoing military actions, independent verification of this information remains challenging.
Since 2022, Crimea has experienced near-daily attacks from drones and missiles. The Russian Ministry of Defense and authorities often do not confirm hits on military targets, even when such information is verifiable.
A drone attack on June 8 led to the suspension of passenger train services in Crimea, resulting in one fatality and injuries. The attack is part of ongoing military actions affecting the region.