After the battle at Sevastopol over the weekend, the Russians were left with three large combat-ready landing ships from 13 units.
Over the weekend, Ukrainian defenders attacked two Russian landing ships Yamal and Azov in temporarily occupied Crimea. There is also the arrival of the communications center and several infrastructure facilities of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the peninsula.
Western experts say they are amazed by the work of the Ukrainians and herald a change in the tactics of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. What arguments are discussed later in the story.
Condition of ships
According to Ukrainian military intelligence, the large landing ship Yamal was critically damaged. The vessel had a large hole in its upper deck, which caused it to list to starboard.
“The invaders continue to pump water from the damaged ship, which took part in the annexation of Crimea and is being repaired from 2017 to 2023,” the Main Intelligence Directorate reported.
Intelligence added that, among other things, they hit the 13th ship repair plant in Sevastopol, where Yamal was moored.
As for the condition of the Azov, there is no official information yet, but propagandists say that the ship also received serious damage.
Moreover, according to Russian public information, the reconnaissance ship Ivan Khurs was damaged during the attack on the night of March 23-24 in Sevastopol. The ship was apparently hit by two missiles; there is no information yet on casualties.
Change of tactics
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed the attack on two Russian ships in Sevastopol and added that “Kyiv is preventing Vladimir Putin from taking control of the Black Sea.”
He called it a “historic moment for Ukraine” and “a further change in dynamics.”
“The destruction of these major Russian ships is a significant milestone. In plain English, it means that Putin can no longer safely carry out missions in the Black Sea, even though the Russian fleet has been operating there since 1873,” Sky News quoted Shapps as saying. as the saying goes.
In addition, British analyst Sean Bell also said for the TV channel that the recent attack could mean a change in Ukraine’s tactics. In particular, according to him, Kyiv is now focused on the occupied peninsula because “Russia is now putting pressure on Donbass and there is an opinion that it is difficult for Ukraine to rely on it and it will be forced to slowly retreat.”
The expert believes that the pressure on Crimea and Sevastopol, although “may not lead to the seizure of Crimea, but if it is in danger – the Black Sea Fleet, the jewel in Putin’s crown, has already retreated to the east – it could be part of the negotiation battle, so it could be a change in Ukrainian tactics.”
At the same time, the former commander of the US Army in Europe, Ben Godges, generally believes that Ukraine, with its “high-precision strikes”, is making “Crimea unsuitable for the Russians.”
“If Russia cannot stop these attacks, they will realize that they will no longer have a refuge in Crimea, and it will no longer be possible to act from there. The Kerch Bridge is becoming a ‘bridge to nowhere,'” he wrote.
Ukraine has shown the value of precision strikes making Crimea difficult for the Russians. If Russia cannot stop these strikes, they will realize that they no longer have a sanctuary in Crimea and it will no longer be possible to operate from there. The Kerch Bridge has become the “bridge to nowhere”. https://t.co/LRQeYZhtfu
— Ben Hodges (@general_ben) March 24, 2024
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.