The strikes of the Defense Forces on military and logistical facilities in the Belgorod region forced the Russian army to change the placement of air defence systems and the logistical scheme of transporting fuel to the temporarily occupied Crimea.
Points of attention
- The strikes of the Defenсe Forces in the Belgorod region forced Russia to change the deployment of air defence in Crimea.
- Transportation of fuel to Crimea through the Kerch Strait has become less safe due to strikes by the Armed Forces.
- The state of Russian air defence in Crimea came under criticism after the shelling of the Armed Forces.
- The weakening of air defence protection in Crimea can lead to serious consequences for the security of the peninsula and the region.
- Changes in the location of air defense systems in Crimea pose a threat to the security of the peninsula and stability in the region.
The shelling of the Belgorod region forced the Russians to weaken air defenсes in Crimea
The report refers to the June 10 announcement by the Atesh guerrilla movement, which refers to the redeployment of air defence systems by Russian troops from the occupied Crimea to the Belgorod region, which led to a weakening of air coverage of Crimea.
In addition, the report notes that footage from June 8 shows Russia again starting to transport fuel via the railway bridge across the Kerch Strait.
At the end of April, the spokesman of the Southern Operational Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Dmytro Pletenchuk, said that from March 2024, the Russian authorities will not transport fuel through the Kerch railway bridge. The reason is that the armed forces can hit the bridge and provoke an explosion of tanks, which would destroy the crossing.
The Ukrainian military publication "Military" reported that the strikes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on railway ferries across the Kerch Strait on May 30 forced the Russian authorities to resume fuel transportation through the railway bridge.
ISW notes that it is not known whether the Russian authorities will continue to use the railway bridge across the Kerch Strait to transport fuel and logistical support to occupy Crimea in the near and medium term.
This is likely to ease some logistical constraints as Russia tries to compensate for lost cross-strait ferries, but will make the Kerch Strait bridge increasingly vulnerable to strikes from Ukraine, especially if Russian air defences in Crimea deteriorate, the report said.
AFU strikes on the occupied Crimea
On the night of June 10, powerful explosions rang out in several areas of the temporarily occupied Crimea. In particular, explosions were reported in Yevpatoria, Saksky and Dzhankoy districts.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces reported that the Defense Forces hit an S-400 anti-aircraft warfare system near Dzhankoi and two S-300 air defence divisions near Chornomorske and Yevpatoria.
Meanwhile, Russian Armed Forces air defence service members received an order to evacuate families from Crimea. This development coincides with the transfer of air defense systems to the Belgorod region, which poses a threat to Crimea's security and leaves it without adequate cover.
