Ukraine suggests partisans behind blasts at Russian airbase in C

senior Ukrainian official suggested a series of explosions at a Russian air base in Crimea could have been the work of partisan saboteurs, as Kyiv denied any responsibility for the incident deep inside Russian-occupied territory.

The adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also suggested Russian incompetence as a possible cause of Tuesday's blasts. They killed one civilian and injured eight, according to the health department in Russia-annexed Crimea.Huge plumes of smoke could be seen in videos posted on social media from Crimea, a holiday destination for many Russians. Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and used it in February as one of the launchpads for its invasion.

Mykhailo Podolyak, asked by the Dozhd online television channel whether Kyiv was responsible, replied: "Of course not. What do we have to do with this?"

"People who are living under occupation understand that the occupation is coming to an end," Podolyak said.