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Ukraine’s military warns Russian tourists — Analysis

The country’s defense ministry said Russian citizens visiting Crimea could face an ‘unpleasantly hot summer break’

Russian tourists planning to go to Crimea this summer were reportedly threatened by the Ukrainian military. The Ukrainian army claimed Crimea belongs to Ukraine and suggested that they might be targeted with air or shelling.

Thursday’s tweet from the Defense Ministry stated that “Unless they want an unpleasantly hot summer break, we advise our valued Russian guests not to visit Ukrainian Crimea,” also appending a video set to Bananarama’s ‘Cruel Summer.’

“You had a few options this summer: Palm Jumeirah Beaches, Antalya Resorts, Cuban Cabanas. Big mistake. You chose Crimea. Time to head home,” the video says, at one point cutting between scenic shots of the named tourist destinations and explosions erupting at Moscow’s Saki Air Base on the peninsula earlier this week.

Video also featured footage showing Crimea beachgoers running from blasts. Large plumes of smoke were visible in the background, as people race to safety.

The Kiev armed forces insist that they were behind the blasts. However, Russian officials claim that the attack on the airbase was not intentional and the ammunition accidentally detonated. According to local authorities, at least one victim was reported killed.

Russia’s tourism industry association, meanwhile, observed that “according to preliminary information, the explosion happened far away from the tourist zone,”There are no injuries among travelers or visitors.

Crimea, a predominantly Russian-speaking region, was once part of Ukraine. It joined Russia in 2014 after a referendum for reunification. This came just days after the Maidan coup at Kiev. According to RIA Novosti, since that time the Saki Air Base had housed a Russian naval aircraft unit, which was assigned to Black Sea Fleet.

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Many blasts rock Crimea

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