Ukrainian Navy strikes Russian air defenses in Crimea

 Ukraine’s Navy said it destroyed three Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense systems and struck other military targets during a joint operation in Russian-occupied Crimea.

In a statement, the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said the operation was carried out together with Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces. Video footage of the strikes was released by the Ukrainian military, News.Az reports, citing Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to the statement, precision strikes hit three Pantsir-S1 air defense missile-and-gun systems and eliminated a Russian mobile fire group.

Ukrainian forces also struck a Russian high-speed BK-16 landing craft near Novoozerne, as well as military infrastructure at the Kirovske airfield.

At the airfield, Ukrainian strikes reportedly destroyed a storage facility for Orion reconnaissance-attack drones and four drone control stations, the navy said.

Officials said the attacks are part of a broader strategy aimed at weakening Russian logistics and combat capabilities deep behind the front lines.

Earlier reports said Ukrainian forces carried out a series of strikes across Crimea during the night of March 8.

The Pantsir-S1 is a Russian short-range air defense system combining missiles and rapid-fire guns designed to intercept drones, aircraft, and cruise missiles at distances of up to 20 kilometers. Ukrainian forces have previously targeted the systems in Crimea, arguing that their destruction weakens Russian air defenses in the region.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada