Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks targeting the Crimean Peninsula since Russia invaded the country last year. The Russian Defense Ministry reported downing 16 Ukrainian drones near or above Crimea. The attack on the critical peninsula comes as Russian forces are close to taking a key city in the Donbas.
According to the Associated Press, Kyiv “launched one of the biggest drone attacks on the Crimean Peninsula” on Thursday. According to a Defense Ministry statement published by TASS, Russian state media, “an attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack using aerial drones against sites on the territory of the Russian Federation was thwarted.” It continued, “Air defense systems destroyed 16 drones, including 13 over the Crimean Peninsula and three over the territory of the Volgograd region.”
The Russian statement did not comment on damage or casualties caused by the intercepted drones. The AP notes that it could not independently confirm the Russian claims, and Ukraine has not issued a statement.
After Washington backed a coup in Kyiv in 2014 that ushered in an ultra-nationalist Ukrainian government, the heavily Russian population of Crimea was annexed by Moscow, a decision supported by the people of the peninsula. Ukrainian President Zelensky has pledged that he will continue to fight the Russian occupation of his country until Crimea is reclaimed.
However, Moscow views the peninsula as historically part of Russia and crucial to its strategic position. Additionally, Kyiv ordered thousands of its soldiers to attempt to retake Crimea this summer, only to gain almost no territory toward that objective.
Moscow has focused its forces on taking Avdiivka, a city in the northeastern Donetsk region. The city is viewed as strategic to the front lines in Ukraine’s Donbas. Avdiivka had a pre-war population of 32,000, which has shrunk to just over 1,000. According to SouthFront, Russian forces are making gains north of the city and slowly encircling Avdiivka.
Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com, news editor of the Libertarian Institute, and co-host of Conflicts of Interest.
Crimea is very crucial to Russia’s strategic position. It is a warm water port. No way is Russia going to lose it. There is also a little bit of history there.
Agree, Crimea has been Russian since before America was a country and was only given to the Ukrainians to administer by Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev; who was a Ukrainian by birth. FJB!
“No way is Russia going to lose it.”
Until they do.
There will be a much wider war if that comes close to happening.
We could be seeing the beginning of it happening now and Russia doesn’t have the capacity to expand the war.
Are you really this delusional or are you getting paid to say things like this?
I guess MAD doesn’t exist anymore. Just say their nukes don’t work and poof, nothing to worry about.
The potential loss of Crimea is a red line for Russia. A red line worthy the use of nuclear weapons. The US is playing with nuclear fire and might just get us all killed.
if Ukraine hadn’t been menacing the people of Crimea ever since 2014 maybe the Crimeans wouldn’t have needed Russia’s help in the first place
BINGO!
The predictable is beginning to happen. Drone defense is taking over attacks. Consequence: new types will be developed and built.
It’s already happening. The use of drones equipped with night vision devastated Ukraine’s plans along the Dnipro River in a single night. Leaflets dropped on AFU soldiers located on the wrong side of that River in the Kherson area gave them a chance to surrender. There is virtually no chance of survival by any other means.
https://www.newsweek.com/russian-military-officers-ukraine-war-prospects-1846655
“See Spot, see Spot run, Run Spot run.”
Excerpt from the battlefield manual of the United Forces of Ukraine and Ukraine’s subsidiaries the USA and the EU division of NATO.
Zelboy is in total shock… All the attention is focused on ME… Crimea attack is sign of desperation…!
Sign of desperation?
No shit, putin invaded and annexed his country. What is he going to do? Write a letter?
“What is he going to do? ”
He’s going to cave to Western pressure and shoot his load on a poorly thought out offensive that will terminally degrade Ukraine’s offensive potential. Oh wait, he already did that.
Yes, all that BS plus he has to protect and defend his country from the dictator you support.
You’d be fighting for Ukraine if you were Ukrainian, or maybe not because you are just a cyber warrior so shut the hell up.
and if you were one of the Crimean people (who actually speak Russian) then you would have welcomed Russia’s help with open arms. and by the way, you are just a cyber warrior so shut the hell up.
Unless, of course, you were one of the Crimean people (who actually speak Russian) who didn’t welcome Russia’s “help” with open arms. There are in fact some of those.
I don’t support Russia. Please show me one comment where I show support for Russia. Detached analysis is not support you fool.
Crimea was never Zelensky’s country.
Crimea appealed to Russia for help from the Ukrainian menace way back in 2014. get with the program Julio.
Hackers call it a denial-of-service attack when swarms of requests are intentionally sent to that same server in order to overload it. Drones are being used for the same purpose against anti-aircraft defense systems. Additionally, the enemy will be watching to see where those systems are located when they are compelled to fire.
Both sides know the tactic. But Russia has a far more robust set of solutions for dealing with this kind of attack than Ukraine/NATO. Many of them have started coming online this week.
Two ways to say that American Democrats are fascists.
Tyrant US (obama) overthrew the elected government of Ukraine in 2014 then Crimea AND was saved from American / NATO occupation by legal maneuvers of the local population and assisted by Russia.
or
“After Washington backed a coup in Kyiv in 2014 that ushered in an
ultra-nationalist Ukrainian government, the heavily Russian population of Crimea was annexed by Moscow, a decision supported by the people of the peninsula.”
Except none of that is actually true.
Russia has 105 million more people than Ukraine and 85% are patriotic supporters of President Putin. Most of the other 15% feel that President Putin is too soft on Ukraine.
Russia has a vibrant research and development sector and military manufacturing complex. It is also a nuclear power with more nukes than the US.
Russia produces more agricultural products than Ukraine ever did. Russia produces most of the enriched uranium for power plants in the world.
Russia is a major producer of many raw materials and energy.
The rose colored glasses are off of most Russians and they no longer want to be part of the West and America.
Ukraine and NATO are not capable of winning, period.
Joey Biden did that so FJB and his handlers including Victoria Nuland, George Soros, and obama.
“Ukraine and NATO are not capable of winning, period.”
And yet the Ukrainians ARE winning and NATO has expanded.
Happy Thanksgiving, tankies!
What are the Ukrainians winning exactly?
Don’t bother chasing these troll farms. They haven’t updated their OS since 2006.
Let’s remember it’s Thanksgiving. During this holiday season, Zelensky wants to deliver this message to you personally via the Washington Monthly:
https://yt3.ggpht.com/C_EKaUq_SdzW94o6Shegu0UcH8S27Dr8BRibZKbmha6r6XHUWrd0ktRl0FqsSfWvi3doyq3eAylv=s1406-nd-v1
“16 drones” is not a “major attack”; Ukraine has launched several that were considerably larger. As has Russia; almost every day.
And, the report about Avdiivka is ridiculously dismissive. Avdiivka is THE key Ukrainian position on the northern part of the front; heavily fortified since 2014, it has been the Ukrainian military’s launchpoint for their attacks on Donetsk since then; taking it will be a MAJOR strategic achievement by Russia. Just like Bakhmut, Ukraine will break their bank trying to save it; but it don’t look good.
Putin Asks The Correct Questions
https://europerenaissance.com/2023/11/26/putin-asks-the-important-questions/