During 27 months of strikes against the Russian Black Sea Fleet in occupied Crimea, Ukraine sank or seriously damaged more than a dozen large warships — a whole third of the fleet.
What is known about naval targets for AFU strikes in Crimea
As Forbes writes, worried about the losses, Russian naval commanders ordered the surviving ships to retreat and relocate to supposedly safer ports in the south of Russia. However, the invaders left dozens of smaller minesweepers, landing ships and patrol boats off the coast of the occupied peninsula — the workhorses of daily operations around Crimea. Now the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has turned its deadly attention to these smaller targets.
The last attack was probably the most expensive for what remained of the Black Sea Fleet in the Crimea. In the early morning of May 30, the naval strike forces of the Ukrainian SSR directed their unmanned Magura V5 boats to Uzka Bay in the west of the peninsula.
Russian planes tried to intercept the drones, but at least a few got through and reached the bay. Frightened Russian gunners opened fire, indiscriminately spraying tracer shells and not stopping the raid, the publication writes.
As a result of this attack, two KS-701 boats were sunk, and two more were damaged. As noted, this is the fifth part of about 20 KS-701. It is noteworthy that on the same day, the Ukrainian Armed Forces damaged two Russian ferries, the main mission of which was to transport goods through the Kerch Strait to eastern Crimea.
Although the destroyed KS-701s do not have heavy weapons, they are still useful, as they were used for logistical support and patrolling the water area near the temporarily occupied peninsula.
Journalists described KS-701 as a water van for delivering goods from the south of Russia to Crimea. The van does not carry supplies but delivers them the last few kilometres to their final destination.
So while Ukrainian cruise missiles and ATACMS are blowing up the main supply lines to Crimea — large landing assault ships, ferries, bridges, and railroads —Ukrainian drone boats are hunting supply ships. Thus, the Ukrainian forces reduce the logistics of the Russians in Crimea on both sides, the publication concludes.
What is known about the strikes on the occupied Crimea
The defence forces, together with the SSU, conducted a several-day operation to destroy the logistics that ensured the vital activities of the Russian occupying forces in Crimea.
According to Politico, Ukraine is complicating Russia's situation in the illegally annexed Crimea through consistent and regular attacks on facilities on the peninsula.
The Economist wrote that Ukraine is gradually defeating Russia in the battle for Crimea. The former commander of US forces in Europe, Ben Hodges, notes that Russia views Crimea as an "unsinkable aircraft carrier" and during the occupation invested significant resources in building military infrastructure there. Now all of it is under threat.
