Russia downs missiles over Crimea, regions bordering Ukraine

KYIV: Russian air defence systems shot down four missiles on Sunday, Russian officials said, one over the annexed Crimean peninsula and three over Russia's Rostov and Bryansk regions that border Ukraine.

A cruise missile was shot down near the city of Kerch on the Crimean peninsula without inflicting any damage or casualties, Russia-installed Governor Sergei Aksyonov wrote on the Telegram messaging app. He did not specify where the missile had been launched from.

Crimea was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, but is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine.

Local officials said traffic movement on the Crimean Bridge that links the peninsula to the Russian mainland was restored after an apparent suspension. No reason for the traffic halt was given.

In another incident, air defences shot down a Ukrainian missile over Russia's Rostov region, Governor Vasily Golubev said on Telegram. "There were no casualties. The debris partially damaged the roofs of several buildings," Golubev wrote.

Alexander Bogomaz, governor of Bryansk, wrote on Telegram that the Russian military had shot down two Ukrainian missiles. A sawmill was totally destroyed as result of one of the missiles falling, Bogomaz said.

Moscow regularly accuses Ukraine of attacks against targets inside Russia. Kyiv has denied this, saying it is fighting a defensive war on its own territory.

Reporting by Reuters; Editing by William Maclean and David Holmes