Mar 11, 2024
(PHOTOS BY ALEXANDER KAZAKOV/POOL/AFP/ GETTY IMAGES
A Russian state news agency has warned about a potential upcoming attack on Crimea.
Tass, a Kremlin-controlled outlet, issued the warning based on recent comments made by Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service (GUR).
Speaking in a documentary released on Sunday, Budanov said recent strikes on Russian positions in Crimea are preparation for a “serious operation” that will be launched on the peninsula.
Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded and annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Since his current invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, the peninsula has been a major talking point. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said one of his objectives in the conflict is to reclaim Crimea and four other regions Putin annexed in September 2022.
For his part, Putin has maintained that Crimea belongs to Russia, and Kremlin officials have stated numerous times that returning the territory to Ukraine will not be included in any possible peace negotiations.
Crimea not only holds symbolic value, but it is also important strategically as the peninsula serves as Russia’s central logistics hub for its forces in southern Ukraine.
The past year has seen an increase in the frequency of Ukrainian strikes in Crimea. One of the more high-profile assaults on Putin’s navy in the region came on March 5 when a squadron of Ukrainian Magura V5 sea drones destroyed the $65 million Sergey Kotov patrol ship.
In the hour-long documentary War for the Sea: From the Dnipro to Crimea, broadcast on Ukrainian TV, Budanov discussed such attacks on Russia’s armed forces as setting the groundwork for a larger mission.
“These are all preparations for a serious operation in Crimea,” he said.
The Kyiv military official added: “This is a test of our statements’ accuracy about the ways of approaching and leaving Crimea. This also makes a good message for the population that has been living under occupation for 10 years. Many of them believe that they have been forgotten.”
Newsweek reached out to GUR and the Russian Ministry of Defense via email on Monday for comment.
The War for the Sea documentary also features interviews with GUR soldiers who participated in combat missions against Russian targets, notably the Black Sea Fleet, in Crimea throughout the two-plus years of war.
In its coverage of Budanov’s comments from the film, Tass noted GUR posted Budanov’s message about a “serious operation” on its Telegram channel. The outlet also mentioned that Budanov is listed on the Russian government’s registry of terrorists and extremists.
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-raises-alarms-ukraine-attacking-putin-prized-possession-1878009
Having this bridge drop into the sea would be the highlight of this war. It’s not a question of if, but of when. I want to see it as soon as possible.
mafia land have just proposed a draft law stating that Crimea was illegally given to Ukraine, and it broke international law. I’m sure Ukrainians will give the middle finger to that law.
https://english.nv.ua/nation/russian-parliament-proposes-to-declare-1954-transfer-of-crimea-to-ukraine-as-invalid-50400254.html
They’ll try anything to legitimize their theft. But, theft is theft, no matter how they twist and turn it.
It’s not his “prized possession.” It is thieved land. Occupied by vermin.
I imagine that Ukrainian engineers will be making calculations as to how best to make the bridge completely unserviceable, rather than destroy such a huge structure, which would take 100 missiles that Ukraine doesn’t have to spare.
However it is achieved, putinaZis, being degenerate filth, will no doubt have used toxic materials in the construction, which will cause serious environmental damage to waters already in poor condition due to RuZZian practices.
The entire span doesn’t have to be demolished to render the bridge useless. A few missiles should do the job.