Russia-installed Sevastopol official claims more than 20 drones shot down in overnight attack

Russia-installed authorities in occupied Sevastopol declared an air alert on the night of 3–4 June amid a drone attack, temporarily closing the Kerch Bridge to road traffic, according to Mikhail Razvozhaev, the Russia-appointed head of the city. Russian air defenses and mobile fire groups engaged drones over the Northern Side district, Striletska Bay, and Inkerman, Razvozhaev said.

The attack extended to Simferopol, marking the simultaneous targeting of two major occupied Crimean cities in a single overnight operation and demonstrating continued Ukrainian capacity to strike deep into the Russian-controlled peninsula.

Casualties and damage reported

Razvozhaev said the Simferopol strike targeted non-residential facilities. He claimed three people were killed and seven injured as a result.

In Sevastopol, occupation services reported debris from one drone landing in a garden cooperative on the Northern Side, with damage also reported to the facade of a private house in the village of Fruktove.

Competing tallies and unconfirmed claims

Razvozhaev claimed more than 20 drones were shot down over Sevastopol. Russia's Ministry of Defense separately reported that air defenses destroyed 272 drones across the country on the same night.

Ukrainian military authorities had not commented on the attack at the time of publication. Radio Svoboda said it was unable to independently verify the figures from open sources.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, Ukrainian forces have conducted repeated strikes on targets inside Russian-occupied territory. Ukraine's General Staff has confirmed the majority of such operations, stating that Ukraine's defense forces "systematically implement measures aimed at reducing the combat potential of Russian occupation forces and compelling Russia to cease its armed aggression against Ukraine."