Robin Horsfall Aug 10
The huge explosions that destroyed materiel at Saki Air Base in Crimea appears to be a successful Special Forces, sabotage operation. The base is out of range of Ukrainian Artillery unless Ukraine has been supplied secretly with long range HIMAR ammunition. There is no evidence of this.
The explosions were several and spaced negating any claims that this was an accident. If as Russia claims it was an explosion of ‘aviation fuel’ it would have taken an incredible breakdown of safety protocol to achieve it.
I believe it is most likely that a small team of explosive experts entered the airbase and planted devices on valuable targets with delayed fuses or by making an electronic initiation at a time of their choosing. The report that only one person died in the explosion supports this and might show that devices were exploded at a time of minimum activity, this of course is only speculation.
When Zelensky refuses to take credit for these attacks he not only protects his Special Forces teams from retribution he also denies Putin any propaganda opportunity to claim that Ukraine has attacked its own people (they have not). However, I suspect Zelensky is winking as he makes no comment.
Reducing the air capability of Russia in Crimea is another step towards crushing Russian forces in Kherson Oblast. No bridges, no rail links and reduced air support reduce Russia’s ability to maintain armed conflict in Kherson.
Now Russia will increase security on airfields in Crimea, but the damage is already done. There is a deliberate and steady Ukrainian momentum growing in Kherson. Russia might sue for peace, if they do, they do it from weakness and should be denied the opportunity to rest and recover.
Slava Ukraine!
Who Dares Shares
Robin Horsfall
The motto of the SAS is of course Who Dares Wins. This opo looked like textbook SAS. In fact it could have been the SAS! More likely it was Ukraine’s own SAS analogue. They might have been sent to Hereford to train of course.
I have my doubts that it was Special ops. This part of Crimea is wide, open plains, much like the prairies in Colorado or Nebraska. There are no forests to hide in. Maybe they came by boat, which I also doubt … unless they have badass speed boats. Choppers? Unlikely.
“There is a deliberate and steady Ukrainian momentum growing in Kherson.”
Not only Kherson. In Crimea too.
I guess they want to keep the orcs guessing for now! Robin thinks it was special forces. I have been to Crimea; a few years before the putinazis polluted the place. But I was nowhere near this location. Where I was it was lush, subtropical foliage, pine forests and some scrublands.
Of course the operatives could be sleepers planted in the population; waiting to be activated?
I guess we will find out in due course?
Which part was that, Scradge? I’ve drive through the peninsula a few times, but I’ve mainly been around the southern parts. This is the most scenic area, with mountains, valleys, forests and lakes and so forth. The rest has rather boring landscape.
I still know people there, so I had better refrain from mentioning locations on a public forum for now.
It is a beautiful peninsula; especially the coastal, wine growing regions and mountains. Far too nice to be polluted by filthy orcs.
It does indeed have the potential to be a world travel destination, as Zel suggests.
The magnificent movie Haytarma was filmed there. I strongly recommend it.