Ukrainian troops are conducting a multi-day campaign to strike Russian military facilities in Crimea and have already successfully hit several targets in different areas of the peninsula.
Analysts analysed Ukraine's attacks in Crimea
The report recalls that on the night of January 5-6, the Ukrainian Defense Forces hit an administrative building at the Russian airfield "Saky" near the village of Novofedorivka in Crimea with four Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that on the night of January 5-6, Russian forces destroyed five Ukrainian drones and four missiles over the Black Sea and Crimea. And on January 6 — six Ukrainian Neptune missiles over the northwestern part of the Black Sea.
The commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk, thanked the Ukrainian pilots for the successful destruction of targets at the Saki airfield, but did not specify whether the Ukrainian strikes were on January 4, 5 or 6. He published satellite images showing the target of the successful Ukrainian attack on the Saki airfield. The ISW said they could not identify the target at this time.
The Main Directorate of Military Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that the GUR, the Air Force of Ukraine and Ukrainian troops conducted a complex special operation, during which on January 4, a strike was made against Russian radar positions at the airfield "Saky" and an equipment warehouse near Hryshyne (60 km northeast of Yevpatoria). The DIU published satellite images showing damage to the specified Russian ammunition depot.
Ukrainian officials and sources report that since January 4, the Armed Forces have also struck an air defence radar system and a communications centre in Yevpatoria, which is responsible for coordinating Russian air defence operations in occupied Crimea. Ammunition depots near Pervomaiske (82 km north of Simferopol) and the Russian command post near Sevastopol were also attacked.
These reports indicate that Ukrainian missiles and drones are penetrating Russian air defense systems in occupied Crimea and have successfully hit some of their intended targets. A well-known Russian military blogger linked to the Kremlin said that the Defense Forces are carrying out strikes aimed at weakening the Russian air defense system over occupied Crimea, according to the ISW report.
Currently, ISW does not assess the purpose of the current Ukrainian campaign to target Russian rear areas in occupied Crimea.
It was recalled that in the summer of 2023, Ukrainian forces conducted a strike campaign against Russian military infrastructure, headquarters, logistics routes and facilities of the Black Sea Fleet, which displaced Russian naval operations from the western part of the Black Sea and was aimed at weakening the ability of the Russian military to use Crimea as a bridgehead and rear for defence operations in the south of Ukraine.
Strikes by the Defense Forces on objects in Crimea
On January 4, powerful explosions rang out in temporarily occupied Sevastopol and Yevpatoria. Before that, the Russian invaders blocked traffic on the Crimean Bridge.
Later, the Directorate of Strategic Communications of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that a junction point of the Russian occupying forces was hit near occupied Sevastopol.
The network also reported that a military unit was hit in Yevpatoria, and as a result of the attack, 23 occupiers and a Russian colonel were allegedly eliminated.
The GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine published satellite images that confirm the destruction of ammunition depots of the Russian invaders, as well as damage to the position of radar stations.
In addition, on January 6, the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces struck the Saki airfield near the village of Novofedorivka and destroyed another enemy control post.
