In September 2023, Ukraine carried out another successful operation in the Black Sea, which resulted in the return of the so-called "Boyko's towers" to its control. The drilling rig "Tavryda" was the first to be deoccupied.
How the "Tavrida" tower was released in the Black Sea
Exclusive material about unknown episodes from the de-occupation of the "Boyko's Towers" was recently released. The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) fighters told how the Black Sea platform "Tavrida" was liberated.
The operation to return the "towers" began in the summer of 2023. It was developed from start to finish by a special agent with the call sign "Bob". According to him, they decided to release Tavryda first. After all, it was more convenient to reach her. The direct distance to this tower was 110-120 kilometers.
Special forces went on a mission at night on a landing craft of the Akula class. The sea was stormy. In addition, it was full of mines, which increased here after the explosion of the Kakhovska Dam.
During the first raid, the DIU fighters managed to get to "Tavryda" unnoticed. However, they could not move near the tower due to the large waves that were 2.5 meters high. Even the rubber boat, which the fighters took with them just in case, did not help.
Another member of the special operation, with the call sign "Sava," says he managed to land on the tower only on the third attempt.
After disembarking, the DIU members acted carefully because no one knew if the Russians were on the platform.
The fighters split into several groups. One had to work in the holds, the other — on the mountain — to dismantle enemy reconnaissance equipment. First, they checked whether the enemy had personnel. Then a group of people's protection was set up, which was monitoring enemy planes in the sky. The tower is gigantic, so it is impossible to conduct a complete inspection in one raid. The DIU members made several such "forays".
A gift for the Air Force of Ukraine
During the raids on the Tavryda, the Ukrainians found a bunch of tanks for aviation fuel. This meant that the Russians used the towers as logistics points. Enemy aircraft were refuelling there. The soldiers also discovered a study in which there was a table with papers, documents, a Russian uniform, food and other junk.
However, the real surprise was the large number of boxes. It was necessary to carefully check them because they could be mined as "traps." Fortunately, the Russians did not have time to mine them. Ammunition for aviation was found inside these boxes—aviation missiles—a real gift for the Air Force.
Special forces fighters say that these missiles had to be unloaded manually, which was not easy. The fighters dragged almost two tons.
Russian Su was circling over "Tavryda"
A missile attack on the platforms followed this raid. The Russians seemed to have fled, but their radar stations on the towers continued to work to monitor the Black Sea area. On "Tavrida", the radar was looking over the territory with a radius of 50 kilometers.
The DIU fighters made the following "excursions" “to dismantle the enemy's radar reconnaissance equipment. Here, "Bob" came to the aid of his experience. After all, the man once engaged in industrial mountaineering.
Once, a Russian "Su" appeared 500 meters from the tower during the radar's dismantling. The special forces fighters had already started preparing for the worst—they would be bombed. However, the Russian pilot did not notice the DIU fighters. He attacked Snake Island and returned to base.
