Ukraine claimed its troops landed in Russian-occupied Crimea Thursday (August 24) as part of a "special operation" in line with the country's Independence Day celebrations.
Officials in Kyiv said the mission objectives were achieved with no casualties among its troops, defense ministry spokesman Andriy Yusov wrote on Telegram.
Ukrainian special forces reportedly landed in the peninsula's western town of Olenivka before an encounter ensued, which resulted in Russian losses without any on the Ukrainian side.
However, no immediate comment was received from the Kremlin, the BBC reported.
Yusov has also not provided any further details of the operation but claimed the Ukrainian flag was raised briefly in Crimea.
On the other hand, Ukrainian military officials have said they would continue to advance in the areas near the cities of Melitopol and Berdyansk after making gains on the southeastern front in their attempt to drive toward the Sea of Azov and cut off Russia's land bridge to Crimea.
According to Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne, a second skirmish was reported in Tarkhankut, involving aircraft and military vessels. A Russian Telegram channel also confirmed the fighting in the area.
Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, eight years before launching its full-scale invasion.
Zelensky: Every Ukrainian Counts
In his Independence Day message, the second since the invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released a message on X, formerly Twitter, rallying his countrymen to help maintain the country's independence.
"In this fight, everyone counts. Because the fight is for something that is important to everyone," he said.
According to a recent poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, Independence Day has gained increased significance among Ukrainians since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. It is now the country's third most important holiday, only behind Easter and Christmas, which Ukrainian Christians are planning to celebrate on December 25 this year in a modification of both Orthodox and Catholic liturgical calendars effective September 1.
The Ukrainian claim came a day after Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, underboss and tactical commander Dmitry Utkin, and eight others were reportedly killed in a plane crash northwest of Moscow, as well as the dismissal of General Sergei "Armageddon" Surovikin from command of the Russian Air Force.
