Ukraine Is Making Crimea A Liability for Russia: Ukraine’s campaign to isolate occupied Crimea gathered pace again this week when another string of long-range strikes hit Russian military infrastructure across the peninsula.
Overnight on June 30-July 1, Ukrainian forces struck a railway bridge near the village of Ichky, damaging a crossing that Russian forces were using to move troops and military equipment to the southern front. Also this week, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) announced that its drones had struck aircraft hangars five times, with intelligence indicating that the facility housed Su-30 and Su-30SM fighter aircraft.
Su-30. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
“At the Saki airfield, seven hangars for storing aviation equipment were hit, which housed Su-30SM, Su-30, and Su-24 fighter jets and front-line bombers. According to preliminary information, at least seven aircraft were destroyed or damaged,” a statement issued on Telegram reads, adding that it was the second such strike on the airfield this week.
“At the Gvardiyske military airfield, two hangars were hit, which stored the Shahed UAV and aviation equipment,” the statement continued, referring to two separate air bases used by occupying Russian forces in Crimea.
The strikes came only days after Ukraine successfully targeted oil infrastructure around Kerch, transport links throughout the peninsula, and electricity substations. The strikes left large parts of Crimea without power and communications systems, with unreliable water supplies, and Russian forces wondering whether the peninsula can continue to serve as a military logistics hub that supports troops operating in southern and eastern Ukraine.
Reports now indicate that Moscow is preparing contingency plans should Crimea become difficult to defend, and Ukraine is using an asset Russia annexed in 2014 against invading forces.
Su-35 Flanker Fighter Jet. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Russia Needed Crimea
When Russian forces seized and formally annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014, it gave Russian forces control of one of the most strategically valuable pieces of coastline in all of Europe – and it provided Vladimir Putin with a new, permanent military base that could project power across the Black Sea.
After Russia launched the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Crimea became far more than a naval base – it became a major military logistics hub that supported the invasion. Nearly every major Russian operation in southern Ukraine has depended on the peninsula since. Supplies arriving from mainland Russia would cross the Kerch Bridge before being distributed through hubs in Kerch, Simferopol, Sevastopol, and Dzhankoi. And from there, trains and trucks would move fuel and military equipment – even troops – toward occupied regions of Ukraine.
The peninsula also became home to Russian combat aircraft that were used to fly missions over southern Ukraine, as well as Black Sea Fleet warships that launched Kalibr cruise missiles. Crimea was critical, and now Russia is on the verge of losing it.
Zelenskyy Says Russia Has Lost the Black Sea
Zelenskyy himself addressed the fact that many did not believe Ukraine could successfully pressure Russian forces out of Crimea, and pre-emptively declared victory following the recent strikes. During a meeting with military personnel, the Ukrainian president declared that Russia had lost the region.
“The Ukrainian Navy, together with other components of the Defense and Security Forces, has achieved what many thought was impossible,” Zelenskyy said. “Russia has lost the Black Sea.”
Zelenskyy insisted that neither the Black Sea nor the Azov Sea would become safe havens for Russian forces.
“Everyone can now see that we have seized the initiative from Russia and are bringing this war back to where it came from—onto Russian soil, into Russian skies, and to Russia’s shores. Back to the home harbor of this war… And every honest heart around the world expects only one thing from Ukraine: that we defeat this Russian evil,” he continued.
Life In Crimea Is Breaking Down
The damage done to Crimea has spilled into civilian life – and that was always inevitable. Ukraine first targeted fuel storage facilities serving Crimea before expanding those attacks to ferries and transport routes used to carry petroleum products into the peninsula. Supplies soon tightened, prompting Russian-installed authorities to introduce fuel rationing measures for civilian motorists.
The effort ensured that the Russian military had access to fuel as it continued to supply the front lines. But as long queues formed outside gas stations, the attacks continued, and authorities abandoned the system altogether when fuel sales were suspended completely on June 21. Gasoline was made available solely to government agencies responsible for maintaining the peninsula’s functioning and security.
The fuel crisis has been accompanied by rolling blackouts and the collapse of critical communications systems. There have been restrictions on ferry services, a severe reduction in public transportation, and the cancellation of public events.
There have even been reports that Crimean officials are moving sensitive documents and military assets out of the peninsula. According to the pro-Ukrainian underground resistance movement ATESH, Russian officials in Crimea were ordered to evacuate all official documents from the region by July 3. The news, if true, suggests that Zelenskyy could be right: Putin may have lost the Black Sea.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, producing and editing analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at 19FortyFive and National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
