With this in mind, Belbek airport came under fire while several Russian anti-aircraft systems were destroyed. This prompted Dmytro Pletentshuk, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian navy, to assure that a third of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea had been eliminated, thanks to drones and naval missiles. Moscow is even said to have withdrawn its remaining ships to ports on the Russian mainland.
“Russia intensifies its hostile actions of sabotage, arson and cyberattacks” against NATO countries
To counter Ukrainian attacks, the Russians reportedly deployed eight ships on the southern side of the bridge to reduce the risk of a successful attack by Ukrainian naval drones. They also built a new railway line linking Rostov, in southern Russia, to Crimea, to provide another logistical artery to the front.
Faced with all this information, Frederik Mertens, strategic analyst for the Center for Strategic Studies in The Hague (HCSS), spoke to our colleagues from the Business Insider information site. “Crimea is vulnerable,” he believes. “Putin has a lot to lose, both politically and militarily. If Ukraine wants to make a real impact without losing a lot of F-16s, this is the place. Then the army could attack over the Black Sea, once Russian anti-aircraft defenses in Crimea have been eliminated.
Ahead of the Washington summit, NATO comes out of its reserve and carves out a key role in helping Ukraine militarily
Crimea is therefore a real strategic point for Volodymyr Zelensky. “A Russian defeat in Crimea would not only be a defeat, but a real humiliation,” said Olga Khvostunova, of the American think tank “Foreign Policy Research Institute”. For another expert, a strategic victory of this magnitude would change the face of the war. “Strong pressure on Crimea and the Black Sea could be enough to threaten Putin and give the war a decisive turn. It could even mean the end of the war.”
There is therefore hope on the Ukrainian side. Especially with European aid and the F-16s which will help a lot. As explained by Oleksandr Syrsky, the head of the Ukrainian army, “Moscow is aware that time will work in Kiev’s favor, with the receipt of a significant amount of weapons and equipment from its allies, including American F-16 fighters, supposed to strengthen Ukrainian air defense,” he said on Telegram.
