The United States has resumed flying over the Black Sea after Tuesday, where a US MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed in international waters after colliding with a Russian Su-27 fighter. FlightRadar24 reported that an American reconnaissance drone, an RG-4 Global Hawk, entered the skies over the Black Sea from Romania and was stationed in international airspace southeast of Crimea and west of the Russian port city of Sochi. The Pentagon has repeatedly stated that shooting down the MQ-9 would not prevent further overflights in the Black Sea.

Meanwhile, some powerful explosions were felt in Sevastopol, in Crimea, local Telegram channels reported, as reported by Ukrainian media. Mikhail Razvogayev, the Sevastopol governor who settled in Russia, wrote on his Telegram channel that military training is taking place at one of the city’s shooting ranges. There were no further details. Vadym Skipetsky, deputy head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, said on Thursday that the Russian military maintains a “strong land and air component” in Ukraine’s Crimea, builds fortifications and prepares for defense in the occupied peninsula.

According to Skibitskyi, approximately 90 combat aircraft and 60 attack helicopters are currently stationed in the Russian-annexed Crimea. Russian forces have reportedly formed a special group on the peninsula, which is now assembling fortifications and lines of defense while Moscow keeps its military infrastructure in Crimea ready for combat.