Ukraine launches more attacks on Crimea after hitting two naval ships: Live updates

The Kremlin strictly controls the information disseminated by its officials in Crimea, and it is often difficult to assess the impact of individual strikes on Russian airfields, ports, bases, missile complexes and supply lines. Moscow also still maintains powerful air defense systems and has demonstrated its ability to adapt to new Ukrainian threats.

However, it is clear that the frequency and severity of strikes is increasing.

The Ukrainian military said on Thursday that it had hit Triumph surface-to-air missile defense systems near Yevpatoria in western Crimea. The success of the operation cannot be immediately independently verified, but it shows Ukraine’s dedicated efforts to strike Russian air defenses and make future attacks more effective. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not comment on this claim.

A Ukrainian security official, who spoke about the details of the operations on condition of anonymity, said that Thursday’s attack on the defense system included drones and missiles.

The previous day, Ukrainian cruise missiles appeared to have hit a Russian Kilo-class submarine and a large landing ship at a shipyard in Sevastopol, the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet in Crimea. Russian officials admitted that two ships in the dry dock were damaged, and satellite images indicated the presence of a submarine and a landing ship at the site.

As Russia seeks safer ways to support its forces in Ukraine, the large landing ships constitute an important logistical asset, and the ship, depending on the extent of the damage, will be the second to be taken out of service due to a Ukrainian strike in recent weeks.

Ben Parry, senior fellow for land warfare studies at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a British think tank, He wrote on Thursday Ukraine’s “deep battle” against targets far from the front, including Crimea, “has shown signs of success in disrupting Russian military operations” that “could put Ukrainian forces on a path to success or at least significantly reduce Russian combat power.” “

The attack on Sevastopol came just days after Ukrainian special forces announced that they had recovered several oil and gas platforms in the waters between Odessa and Crimea. Ukraine’s claim could not be independently verified and the Russian Defense Ministry did not comment.

Military analysts and British Military Intelligence Agency Russia says it has installed radar installations and long-range missile systems on such platforms used to attack Ukraine and defend against attacks on Russian facilities in Crimea. Ukrainian military officials said one of the goals of the operation was to weaken the Russians’ ability to detect threats targeting Crimea.

Ukraine has also used naval drones to target Russian ships in the Black Sea. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that the Russian patrol ship Sergei Kotov was targeted by five unmanned boats before dawn on Thursday. The Russians said the attack was thwarted, a claim that could not be independently verified.

The Ukrainian military said on the messaging app Telegram that the Russian account was false and that its drones hit two Russian ships as they were crossing the waters of the Black Sea.

Crimea was a staging ground for the invasion of Moscow nearly 19 months ago, and remains a vital link in the Russian supply chain that keeps tens of thousands of Russian soldiers fighting armed and fed.