On the night of 1 August, the Ukrainian Defence Forces struck a number of Russian military targets in the temporarily occupied Crimea, and in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. In particular, the strikes targeted a depot for unmanned naval craft, two railway bridges, a radio-electronic reconnaissance unit of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, a repair base and warehouses.
Briefly about the main points
- A depot of Russian unmanned naval craft has been hit in Crimea.
- Railway bridges near Chongar and Vladyslavivka were hit.
- A unit of the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s Naval Air Defence has been hit in Sevastopol.
- Maintenance facilities and warehouses in three regions have also been hit.
- Russia used the bridges for military transport between Crimea and southern Ukraine.
Transport hubs on the route to Crimea
The defence forces have struck the «Sivash» railway bridge in the Chongar area, which links the temporarily occupied territories of the Kherson region with Crimea. A railway bridge in the Vladyslavivka area on the peninsula has also been struck.
Russian troops used both facilities to transport personnel, weapons, military equipment, ammunition and logistical supplies between Crimea and other occupied territories in southern Ukraine.
The Chongar sector is one of the key land links between Crimea and the occupied part of the Kherson region. Previous damage to crossings in this area had forced the Russian side to divert transport via longer routes through Armiansk and Perekop, causing delays to logistics. Whilst this does not determine the extent of the impact of the current damage, it does highlight the vulnerability of the limited network of such routes.
Naval assets, reconnaissance and logistical support
A depot for unmanned naval craft has been hit in the Chornomorskyi district of Crimea. It was used for the storage, preparation and maintenance of these craft prior to their deployment on combat and special operations in the Black Sea.
A separate target was the Russian Federation’s Black Sea Fleet’s electronic intelligence unit in Sevastopol. Disabling such assets could affect the enemy’s ability to gather situational awareness data and detect emissions.
In addition, the Defence Forces struck a repair and maintenance base near Pervomaiskyi in Crimea, a logistics depot in the Podove area of the Kherson region, and a drone depot in the Tokmak area of the Zaporizhzhia region.
The combination of objectives — transport crossings, maritime infrastructure, reconnaissance, maintenance and supplies — may indicate an attempt to simultaneously hinder Russian forces’ ability to transport, maintain and deploy unmanned systems. The defence forces have stated that they will continue to take systematic measures to put an end to Russia’s armed aggression.
The Ukrainian Defence Forces have stated that they will continue to systematically carry out measures aimed at putting an end to the Russian Federation’s armed aggression.
