The airbase in Crimea that was rocked by explosions is a “legitimate target” for Ukraine, the UK’s defence secretary has said, despite Kyiv maintaining its silence.
Ben Wallace disregarded Russia’s explanations for the blasts, which killed one and injured more than a dozen, saying the fireballs could not have been caused by “someone dropping a cigarette”.
The Ukrainian air force said nine Russian warplanes were destroyed in a series of blasts at the Saky airfield this week, but Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for the incident.
Moscow denied that the site had come under attack by the Ukrainians, with a defence official telling the state-owned RIA Novosti news agency that the main cause of the explosions was “a violation of fire safety requirements”.
The source said there were “no signs, evidence, much less facts of intentional impacts on munitions with the aim of detonation”.
Ukrainian officials have suggested their forces were involved and a senior presidential aide said the blasts were “just the beginning” of efforts to reclaim Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
Ukraine’s Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov suggested ― to the amusement of many on social media ― that discarded cigarette butts sparked the blasts.
Mr Wallace said it was clear that the explosions at the base were not caused by “someone dropping a cigarette” and dismissed Russia’s excuses.
“We’ve pretty much dismissed most of the Russian, I think, excuses ― everything from a cigarette butt, I think was one of them, that might have set off two simultaneous large explosions,” he told the BBC.
“I think when you just look at the footage of two simultaneous explosions not quite next to each other, and some of the reported damage even by the Russian authorities, I think it’s clear that that’s not something that happens by someone dropping a cigarette.”
Mr Wallace said he believed anyone’s “manual of war” would consider the site on the Crimean Peninsula to be a “legitimate target” for Ukraine to hit.
Mr Wallace said it was “very early days” and the UK would “see what information comes out” about the incident at Saky.
Asked if the base was a legitimate target for the Ukrainians to strike, Mr Wallace said: “First and foremost, Russia has illegally invaded, not just in 2014, but now Ukrainian territory.
“Ukraine, under United Nations articles, is perfectly entitled to defend its territory and take what action it needs to against an invading force.
“So, is it legitimate? It’s absolutely legitimate for Ukraine to take lethal force, if necessary, but take force in order to regain not only its territory, but also to push back its invader.
“And that air force base has been used by Russian air forces to bomb Ukrainian targets. So I think in anybody’s sort of manual of war, it would be a legitimate target.”
If confirmed, a Ukrainian strike on the airbase, located about 200 kilometres from the nearest front lines, would be a significant show of strength by Kyiv in the conflict.
Satellite imagery also shows aircraft individually destroyed in their open-air revetments. The pictures are unclear on whether there are craters from potential missile strikes.
There has been speculation that the explosions deep behind Russian lines could have been the work of Ukrainian special forces.
An anonymous Ukrainian government official told The Washington Post that special forces had carried out the attack.
It is possible that members of the elite unit were able to penetrate Saky airbase and place explosives on individual aircraft before withdrawing.
The munitions were most probably on a timer to give the troops time to leave the scene. The explosions occurred during the day, with beachgoers nearby witnessing the aftermath.
It is unclear whether any incoming missiles were heard before the strike.
As yet, Ukraine also does not have the capability for long-range strikes, with its US-supplied Himars missiles currently having a range of 85km.
It is also possible a killer drone could have been used, similar to those used by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in an attack on the UAE in January.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy repeated the air force’s statement that nine Russian planes had been destroyed at Saky.
“In just one day, the occupiers lost 10 combat aircraft, nine in Crimea and one more in the direction of Zaporizhzhia,” he said in his nightly video address to the nation.
More Russian armoured vehicles, ammunition warehouses and logistics routes were also destroyed, he said.
People living in occupied territories should do all they can to aid Ukraine’s security services and military in expelling Russian forces, Mr Zelenskyy said.
“Only by ensuring Russia’s defeat on the battlefield, only by Russian losses ― military, political, economic ― can the return of security for Ukraine and the whole of Europe be brought closer,” the president added.
Defence ministers from nations supporting Kyiv met during the Copenhagen Conference for Northern European Defence Allies of Ukraine on Thursday to discuss the provision of more weapons, training and funding.
Mr Wallace on Thursday announced that the UK would send more multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) to Ukraine as part of an enduring commitment to help the country defend itself against Russia’s invasion.
Britain will also give a significant number of precision-guided M31A1 missiles, which can strike targets up to 80km away, enabling Ukraine to continue to defend itself against Moscow’s heavy artillery.
“This latest tranche of military support will enable the armed forces of Ukraine to continue to defend against Russian aggression and the indiscriminate use of long-range artillery,” Mr Wallace said.
Ukrainian troops have been trained in the UK on how to use the launchers, and the UK has also committed to training 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers in infantry battlefield skills over the coming months. Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands have all announced they will be supporting the programme.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Berlin “is shipping arms — a great, great many, sweeping and very effective. And we will continue to do so in the coming time”.
Germany, seen early in the war as an ally offering only sluggish support, has already approved military exports of at least $710 million. Mr Scholz said Germany’s commitment to such exports was a “massive” break with its past. He added that Berlin would also provide further financial aid to Ukraine.
Denmark said a new contribution of $113m would push the total amount of funding from the small Scandinavian nation of 5.8 million to more than $500m.
“We will not let you down,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said as she opened a donors' conference.
Meanwhile, Russia's defence industry is suffering significant setbacks because of the war in Ukraine, the British Army said, and is “highly unlikely to be capable of fulfilling some export orders for armoured fighting vehicles”.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence said the effects of the West’s sanctions on the Russian economy, coupled with the high demand for army vehicles by Moscow’s forces fighting in Ukraine, mean output is low.
“Russia has long considered the defence industry to be one of its most important export successes,” the ministry said in an update on Twitter.
“However, its military industrial capacity is now under significant strain, and the credibility of many of its weapon systems has been undermined by their association with Russian forces’ poor performance in the Ukraine war.”
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Top goalscorers in Europe
34 goals - Robert Lewandowski (68 points)
34 - Ciro Immobile (68)
31 - Cristiano Ronaldo (62)
28 - Timo Werner (56)
25 - Lionel Messi (50)
*29 - Erling Haaland (50)
23 - Romelu Lukaku (46)
23 - Jamie Vardy (46)
*NOTE: Haaland's goals for Salzburg count for 1.5 points per goal. Goals for Dortmund count for two points per goal.
Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
The five pillars of Islam
The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
Edited and Introduced by Sjón and Ted Hodgkinson
Pushkin Press
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Youth YouTuber Programme
The programme will be presented over two weeks and will cover the following topics:
- Learning, scripting, storytelling and basic shots
- Master on-camera presence and advanced script writing
- Beating the algorithm and reaching your core audience
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Zayed Sustainability Prize
More on animal trafficking
More on Quran memorisation:
The biog
Occupation: Key marker and auto electrician
Hometown: Ghazala, Syria
Date of arrival in Abu Dhabi: May 15, 1978
Family: 11 siblings, a wife, three sons and one daughter
Favourite place in UAE: Abu Dhabi
Favourite hobby: I like to do a mix of things, like listening to poetry for example.
Favourite Syrian artist: Sabah Fakhri, a tenor from Aleppo
Favourite food: fresh fish
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE SPECS
Touareg Highline
Engine: 3.0-litre, V6
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 340hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh239,312
The biog
Year of birth: 1988
Place of birth: Baghdad
Education: PhD student and co-researcher at Greifswald University, Germany
Hobbies: Ping Pong, swimming, reading
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
More coverage from the Future Forum
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go
Flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.
The stay
Rooms at Alila Villas Koh Russey (www.alilahotels.com/ kohrussey) cost from $385 per night including taxes.
