Russian forces destroyed 20 Ukrainian drones launched to the Crimean Peninsula overnight into Saturday, Russia's Ministry of Defense said. There were no casualties and no damage as a result of the attack, the Ministry said on Telegram, adding that 14 drones were destroyed by air defenses, and six were suppressed by electronic warfare equipment. The incident comes against the backdrop of rising tensions in the annexed Crimea and the Black Sea area. Crimea has regularly been targeted with drones, including attacks on the bridges linking the peninsula to the mainland. This month Ukrainian sea drones also attacked a major naval base in Russia, leaving a damaged Russian warship listing, a brazen strike carried out hundreds of miles from Ukrainian-held territory. Hours later a huge Russian oil tanker was hit. Another Ukrainian missile has been shot down in the Kerch Strait in the Black Sea on Saturday, according to an update from the Russia-appointed Head of Crimea Sergey Aksyonov. "Another enemy missile was shot down over the Kerch Strait. Thank you to our air defense troops for their high professionalism and vigilance!" Aksyonov wrote on Telegram on Saturday. Aksyonov earlier said that two Ukrainian missiles had been shot down in the Kerch Strait on Saturday. Two Ukrainian missiles were shot down over a bridge connecting Russia-annexed Crimea to the mainland. "Two enemy missiles were shot down by air defense forces near the Kerch Strait. The Crimean bridge has not been damaged," the Russia-appointed Head of Crimea Aksyonov said. Photos and videos circulating on social media platforms showed white smoke billowing from the bridge. Traffic on the bridge has been temporarily blocked following the attempted attack, officials said. The Crimean bridge is a vital artery for supplying Russia's war on Ukraine, allowing people and goods to flow into the Ukrainian territories that Moscow has occupied in the south and east of the country. Also known as the Kerch Bridge, it holds personal value for Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the Kremlin narrative, it marks the "reunification" of Crimea with the Russian mainland. Meanwhile, a 73-year-old woman was killed in Kharkiv region Saturday morning amid increased shelling in the region. This week, Ukrainian officials called the northern front in the eastern region the "epicenter" of hostilities, but that Ukrainian defenses are holding. As Russian attacks intensify, Ukraine has ordered the evacuation of civilians in and around the city of Kupiansk, which was liberated in a lightning Ukrainian campaign offensive in September. Oleh Syniehubov, head of Kharkiv region military administration said about 12,000 people remained in the city and was now considering announcing mandatory evacuations for children in more settlements. Syniehubov added that over the past 24 hours Russian troops shelled other settlements in the region with artillery, mortars and other weapons. One person has been killed and 12 people wounded Saturday when Ukraine's southeastern town of Orikhiv was hit with a guided aerial bomb, the Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko said in a statement posted on Telegram. "The enemy hit Orikhiv with guided aerial bomb this morning. A police officer was killed in a strike. 12 people have been wounded, including 4 police officers," the minister said, adding that doctors are fighting for the lives of those wounded, some in serious condition. Located 60 kilometers southeast of the city Zaporizhzhia, Orikhiv has found itself on the frontline of Ukraine's counteroffensive. It is caught between Kyiv's troops pushing south and Russian forces attempting to hold regional positions. The town has come under heavy bombardment from Russian airstrikes with half-ton bombs landing frequently — sometimes 20 in as many minutes. — CNN
