How Ukrainian Attacks Are Making Crimea Unusable As Base For Russians

The Ukrainians are systematically dismantling Russian air defenses, logistics connections, naval anchorages, supply bases and troop training grounds on Crimea. 

The result has degraded the military functionality of the peninsula for occupying Russian forces and raises questions about the long term viability of Russian control. JL 

Veronika Melkozerova reports in Politico:

Ukraine is making it increasingly difficult for Russia to hang on to illegally annexed Crimea thanks to an ongoing campaign that's targeting air defenses, rail links and water connections. Besides targeting logistics, Ukrainians have used marine drones and coastal missiles to destroy or damage at least 27 Russian warships and one submarine. Kyiv has also attacked Russian airfields and naval bases, forcing Moscow to move its fleet east along the Black Sea coast to the Russian port of Novorossiysk. "Modern Russian air defenses proved powerless against missiles and unmanned systems and could not protect important facilities used for logistics and supply of the Russian army.”

Ukraine is making it increasingly difficult for Russia to hang on to illegally annexed Crimea thanks to an ongoing campaign that's targeting air defenses, rail links and water connections.

The latest blows were struck on Friday, when a joint Ukrainian navy and army operation hit a ferry crossing and oil terminal at the port of Kavkaz, located on the Russian side of the Kerch Strait that divides Crimea from Russia, Ukraine’s general staff said in a statement.

Hours earlier, Ukrainians hit the Crimean side of the Kerch ferry crossing — damaging two rail ferries, the Avanguard and the Conro Trader, that are crucial to Russia's ability to keep Crimea supplied.

 

The Kerch Strait Bridge has been significantly damaged after a series of Ukrainian attacks in 2022 and 2023, leaving it unable to take heavy train traffic. That means Russia cannot use it for military logistics like transporting heavy armored vehicles, Ukrainian navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk told POLITICO.

That is forcing Russia to rely on road and rail links across occupied Ukraine — which puts trains and trucks into easier range of Ukrainian attack.

“Considering the fact that the railway line Russians are building through the occupied territories of Ukraine is not finished yet, this civil ferry was their army’s main logistics route,” Pletenchuk said. “Their sea logistics is also long gone after Ukraine destroyed four and damaged five of their landing ships,” he added.

The attack is the latest stage of Ukraine’s complex operation aimed at making Russia's hold over Crimea untenable. Besides targeting logistics, Ukrainians have used marine drones and coastal missiles to destroy or damage at least 27 Russian warships and one submarine. Kyiv has also attacked Russian airfields and naval bases, forcing Moscow to move its fleet east along the Black Sea coast to the Russian port of Novorossiysk.

The peninsula's air defenses have also been degraded with constant attacks.

 “As long as the Russian occupiers are in the Ukrainian Crimea, something will periodically explode there,” Pletenchuk said.

Ukrainians used home-produced drones and long-range Neptune missiles to hit Russia’s Krasnodar in the early hours of Friday. The attack on the Crimean side of the strait used U.S.-made ATACMS missiles, the Ukrainian general staff said.

That conforms with Washington's rules for Ukraine to limit the use of U.S.-supplied weapons on Russian territory to the region north of the city of Kharkiv.

Kyiv said that key targets were hit in the attacks. "Modern and effective Russian air defenses again proved powerless against our missiles and unmanned systems and could not protect important facilities used for logistics and supply of the Russian army,” the Ukrainian military said.

The Russian defense ministry reported shooting down five anti-ship Neptune missiles and 29 drones over the Krasnodar region, saying that it managed to prevent a “Ukrainian terroristic attack.”

Kyiv rejected that categorization.

“Ukraine does not hit civilian targets, but only objects Russia uses for military purpose,” Pletenchuk said. “Russians call us out but never show the damage as they know we hit only military targets"

Veniamin Kondratyev, the regional governor of Russia's Krasnodar, said all the Ukrainian drones were suppressed and there were no victims reported anywhere but at the oil refinery.

“The situation in the Temryuk district is more serious. Three tanks with oil products were damaged and are burning there. The fire has been assigned a high-complexity category. Unfortunately, there are victims among the employees of the oil base, and they are receiving medical treatment. The rest of the employees were evacuated,” Kondratyev said in a statement.

Pletenchuk said that Russia shut both the ferry line and the Kerch Bridge on Thursday, forcing civilians and military to use a road through Ukraine’s southern occupied territories to get to Russia.

“This should hint to the occupiers, who have illegally moved to our Crimea in the last 10 years, that there are fewer and fewer opportunities for them to leave this peninsula. They can leave the Ukrainian Crimea now because it will be impossible later,” Pletenchuk said.