The ambitious counteroffensive that the Ukrainian Army promised to carry out in the south of the country to recapture the coastal city of Kherson has already started. And, apparently, he has done it by hitting Russia where it hurts the most: in a territory that he considers his own.
Last monday, an attack on the Russian Saki airbase, in the occupied peninsula of Crimea, destroyed eight Russian planes and several buildings. At least that is what can be seen in the satellite images published by Planet Labsshowing how several consecutive explosions turned the place into a dumping ground of rubble and dust.
As on other occasions, Russia downplayed what had happened and said that it was an ammunition accident It hadn’t caused much damage. And, of course, no aircraft had been affected. A response similar to the one he gave in April, when a Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missile sank the flagship warship of the Russian Navy, the Moskva, in the Black Sea.
Sources: UK Ministry of Defence, Institute of War
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, for its part, denied responsibility for the coup and he preferred to respond sarcastically to the enemy and warn him of the dangers of “smoking near explosives”.
However, there are those who point out that it could be an offensive carried out with the high-precision weapons that the West has been sending to kyiv for months.
This has been suggested by two officials to the portal Politicalwhere they have assured that the explosions of the Russian military airfield in Crimea, illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, are the beginning of the “Ukrainian counteroffensive in the south”in addition to the beginning of a new and tough phase that could last until September.
Likewise, a few hours after the attack (although the images were not yet known) the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, pointed out that the Russian war against his country and “against all of free Europe began in Crimea and must end with Crimea liberated.”
“The war against Ukraine began in Crimea and must end with Crimea liberated”
Likewise, the Ukrainian leader warned in the daily report issued by different official channels, that “there will be no stable and lasting peace in many countries on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea as long as Russia can use Crimea as its military base.
Despite all indications that Ukrainian forces are behind the incident, Russia has no interest in blaming the enemy. Among other things because between the Crimean air base and the defensive front of the Russian lines there are more than 225 kilometersa considerable distance that could indicate that the Ukrainian military technology is far superior to the Russian.
And it is that, as far as is known, Ukraine does not have such long-range missiles, since the HIMARS rockets supplied by the US have a range of 80 kilometers. Likewise, it would be unlikely that the Ukrainian planes had penetrated the airspace controlled by the Kremlin.
Satellite images showing the destruction of planes in Crimea.
Thus, either the Ukrainian forces have unknown weapons or, according to Ukrainian officials consulted by New York Timesthe attack was carried out with the help of allies that they would be in Crimea.
There is also the possibility that an army special forces Ukrainian were behind, which would demonstrate a new skill of the kyiv troops, according to Ukrainian officials to Washington Post.
Counteroffensive at Kherson
What is certain is that in recent weeks, Ukrainian forces have been pressing to regain ground towards the city of Kherson, which was one of the first to fall into Russian hands at the start of the invasion. Nevertheless, progress, although significant, has been discreet.
In this sense, the explosions on the airfield could indicate that the counterattack has begun in earnest. And it is that the coup in Crimea has been a blessing for the Ukrainian troops, while it could mean a blow to morale of Putin’s soldiers.
[Putin aumenta la presión sobre Zaporiyia, ciudad de la “Nueva Rusia” con una movilización inesperada]
This humiliation was underlined by Zelensky himself, who indicated that the invaders had lost ten combat planes in a single day: “nine in the Crimea and one more in the direction of Zaporizhia.”
It is precisely at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, currently occupied by Russia, where the other great front of the war is concentrated. In recent days, bombardments in the area have increased, raising fears of a nuclear catastrophe.
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