https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2023/08/23/ukraine-just-blew-up-russias-main-missile-base-in-occupied-crimea/
It’s fair to call the Cape Tarkhankut site the linchpin of Russian air and naval defenses across the Black Sea. Which is why the Ukrainian armed forces blew it up.
The messaging coming from Budenov, the Ukrainian head of intelligence:
“We have the ability to hit any part of the temporarily occupied Crimea as of now. Absolutely at any point we can get the enemy. Those who have done stupid things, it’s better for them to leave,”
“And those who are waiting must prepare and do everything to help, first of all, the intelligence agencies, and then further, when the troops go into the open.”
Psyops for sure, but part of me wants it to happen. Now with this battery gone it definitely sets the stage.
I don't think it's only a psyops.
One think is getting hit by drones and missiles. It's a whole different level to not spot a landing squad crossing almost 100km of sea, land and blow up your critical military installation.
They likely already did it last year, when they blew up planes on a Russian base in Crimea, but it is nice to see that they still very much can do it.
russia seems to be bad at spotting and stopping anything armed in territory not currently on the front (or maybe there too?).
That is one of the key points of this war. The Russian army is an army of the age of tanks, with a handful of air support and some missiles. The Ukrainian army has already entered the age of drones, and uses it wisely.
I read a theory about why Ukraine has not completely destroyed the bridge to Crimea, even if they were able to, was to leave a way out & not fight the occupying troops into a corner, at which point their destructive unpredictability is worse than just letting them leave . This could be similar
No, that doesn't make a lot of sense. Russia has enough boats/ships to evacuate Crimea if they wanted. They used to supply the whole Crimea woth ships before the bridge was built.
If Ukraine could, they would definitely destroy the bridge. But it's just very difficult task.
Putin would forbid any evacuation plans. A bridge allows scared soldiers a way to run away without permission from command.
WTF, the bridge has checkpoints on both sides, you're not going to somehow sneak thousands of soldiers.
You think they would mutiny? Then they can just steal some of the many ships in the harbors.
And again, 20 km long bridge is a perfect place to destroy / stop whatever you want. It's a chokepoint, hell to get through if the other sode doesn't want to let you go through.
It makes sense if you remember that Crimea has port infrastructure that Russia will absolutely destroy if they sense they're cornered. They'll leave nothing
You are assuming that the Russian government values the lives of their soldiers more than the strategic and economic benefit of holding Crimea. I think they'd rather hold Crimea at all costs.
And if they have to lose their Crimean dream, I'm sure they'd rather it happen after a Stalingrad-esque situation, where literally everyone fights to the very, very, very last, instead of the ignominy of their troops retreating from those lovely warm water ports.