Russian‑occupied Crimea suffered night‑time explosions, a blaze at the Teodosy refinery, and growing difficulties for Ukraine’s Patriot missile defense, on October 6, 2024.
Night‑time Explosions Across Crimea
On the morning of October 6, Ukrainian Prawda reported that drones conducted strikes on multiple locations in occupied Crimea. The aircraft targeted the airport in Saki on the peninsula’s west coast, caused explosions near Simferopol about 50 km away, and triggered sirens in military units in Sevastopol. Additional detonations were noted in Eupatoria and around the Kacz airport.
Blaze Hits Teodosy Oil Refinery
The refinery in Teodosy has been the target of previous attacks, including one in October 2024 that burned 12 fuel tanks, eight of which were destroyed. The latest assault set off two massive fires, with the blaze visible from approximately 30 km away. Russian authorities blocked the Kerch highway adjacent to the burning storage depot, according to the “Krymski Wiatr” Telegram channel.
Patriot System Faces Rising Challenges
Ukrainian Air Force officials reported increasing difficulties engaging Russian ballistic missiles using American Patriot systems. They cited modifications to missile trajectories that mimic ballistic paths and introduce erratic flight. According to a recent analysis by the British “Financial Times,” the success rate of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles fell from about 40 % in August to 6 % in September.
