Ukrainian Attack on Sevastopol Leaves It Without Power: In another devastating attack on Crimea by Ukrainian drones, an attack overnight knocked out power to Sevastopol, the largest city in the Russian-occupied peninsula.
In other attacks on the strategically important area in the past month, the Ukrainians have been attacking Russian supply lines, especially the fuel trucks traveling into the peninsula, as the Russian puppet government has been forced to suspend fuel sales to the public.
TOS-1. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Ukraine’s drone and missile attacks target the “land bridge” supply lines, striking fuel convoys, military sites, and transport hubs, and are causing fuel and food shortages.
In Copy-Cat Attacks, Ukraine Targeting The Power Grids
Russia, since the beginning of the invasion, has been targeting the power grids of Ukrainian civilians. Now the Ukrainians are responding in kind and putting the Russians on the defensive. Ukraine’s drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said drones had hit the main substation at the Sevastopol power plant in Crimea.
Moscow-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said that some areas of the city would be left without power until Wednesday evening. He then took to social media and struck a defiant tone.
“We will not be intimidated by the lack of light. We have gone through more than that, and we will survive now,” Razvozhayev said in a post on the Telegram app.
“The enemy is again striking vilely, trying to deprive us of our usual living conditions and sow panic.”
He asked residents to help vulnerable neighbors and to reserve cell phone use for emergency communications only, turning screen brightness down and putting background apps to sleep to save battery life and avoid overloading the grid.
Trolley buses were not running on Wednesday, and parents were urged to keep children home from school.
In the nearby Kherson Oblast of Ukraine, Russian-occupied areas were also put in the dark as Ukrainian drone attacks were able to cut off power fully or partially in many areas.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Josiah “Sirius” Gaffney, Pacific Air Forces Demonstration Team commander, prepares to fly a practice sortie before the Dubai Airshow in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 11, 2021. In addition to the PACAF F-16 Demonstration Team routine, the air show will highlight a variety of U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft showcasing the range of U.S. military airpower capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Kakaris)
Another Moscow-installed Governor, Vladimir Saldo, admitted that the power grids were hit but didn’t provide details.
Russian Defense Ministry Shoots Down 323 Drones
Russian air defenses have been struggling to defend the country and its occupied territory against an onslaught of waves of Ukrainian drones several times a week.
The Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down 323 Ukrainian drones overnight, but despite that, they are still suffering grievous losses in gas and oil infrastructure and military equipment.
After several large attacks on Moscow, Russia appears to be strengthening its air defenses around the capital at the expense of the front lines by redeploying air defense units from the battle lines to protect the capital and the Kerch Bridge connecting Russia to Crimea.
Crimea Is The Key To The Russian Invasion
The situation in Crimea is a fluid one, with both sides claiming the area as their own, and the fighting there is representative of how bloody this war has been.
Since the very start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia has used Crimea as a launchpad for offensive operations. It is home to numerous military airfields, Russian bases, arsenals, and storage facilities for military equipment and weapons.
The port of Sevastopol was the location of and the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Ukrainian drone and missile attacks, however, sank several warships and forced the remainder to relocate to Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Krai.
The Crimean Land Bridge enabled the transfer of significant quantities of military materiel. Russia also based numerous ground-based missile launchers in Crimea.
By funneling manpower, equipment, and supplies through Crimea, it has largely supported Russia’s operations in southern and eastern Ukraine. Ukraine’s attempts at cutting it off put increasing pressure on Russia’s already stretched logistical chain and lengthen the supply routes to its troops.
Russia Refuses To Acknowledge Fuel Shortages To Drone Attacks
Ukrainian drone attacks are taking a tremendous toll on Russian gas and oil supplies as well as food and other supplies heading to the peninsula.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that “Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed on June 23 that all global economies, including Russia, are impacted by the current oil price volatility.
Peskov is using global oil market irregularities to explain away Russian domestic gasoline shortages while refusing to acknowledge the direct impact of Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told President Putin on Tuesday that Russian authorities have instituted a complete ban on gasoline and jet fuel exports, are considering a ban on diesel exports, and are introducing changes to tax legislation to help the domestic gasoline market meet increased fuel demand.
Ukrainian Drones Destroy Key Railway Bridge To Crimea
A Ukrainian drone attack hit the bridge over the North Crimean Canal, near the village of Rozdolne, on Sunday and Monday, leading to its partial collapse. The Ukrainian military released a video showcasing the attack.
The Ukrainian military described the bridge as a key logistics route used to supply Russian forces in southern Ukraine and said drones began hitting the structure late Sunday to Monday, collapsing part of it. A second strike early Tuesday targeted railway repair equipment deployed at the bridge and its remaining sections, it said on Telegram.
Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO), posted on its social media page, “Sorry, but we have an official and urgent message here: The Railway Bridge over the North Crimean Canal in Crimea no longer exists.”
Russian logistics are being forced to camouflage fuel trucks to resemble milk trucks so fuel convoys can travel on the embattled highways.
And now the Russians are protecting fuel convoys heading to Crimea by having several trucks with anti-aircraft defense weapons protect them from drone attacks, according to Ukrainian war reporter Artur Rehi.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
