Kiev has stepped up its attacks on the peninsula annexed by Moscow, bombarding Russian military positions with drones and cruise missiles. Why is the region considered crucial to the war?
(DW) For the second time in a row, Ukrainian troops attacked Russian military positions on the annexed Crimean peninsula on Thursday morning (14/09). According to Ukrainian media, the target was an S-300 anti-aircraft system or the even more modern S-400 near the town of Yevpatoria.
It would be the second such system attacked in Crimea in just a few weeks. This time, the Russian military reported only an allegedly repelled drone strike, with no details.
The night before, Ukraine reported a spectacular attack in Sevastopol, the main base of the Black Sea Fleet. According to reports from Kiev, several cruise missiles hit a warship and a submarine. Both were seriously damaged, but the Russian Defense Ministry announced that they would be repaired.
Ukraine destroys Kerch bridge
For weeks now, the Ukrainian military has been stepping up its attacks on Crimea, the most intense and costly for the Russian side so far. After being illegally annexed in 2014, in the following years the peninsula was transformed by Russia into a military stronghold, with several Navy and Air Force bases.
Shortly before the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry estimated the number of Russian soldiers in Crimea at 32,000. It is rumored that nuclear weapons would also be stationed there.
Ukraine attacked the peninsula heavily for the first time in August 2022, hitting a military airport near Saki and destroying some fighter planes.
In October, the Kerch bridge was blown up for the first time. Since then, the building, which is the most important supply route for Russian troops, has been repeatedly attacked, most recently by maritime drones.
Black Sea Fleet base
Why is Crimea so crucial for both sides? Apart from the symbolic importance repeatedly stressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the peninsula is important above all from a military point of view.
The Black Sea Fleet stationed there is attacking Ukrainian cities with Kalibr cruise missiles – which reach from the interior of the country to the EU border. The same applies to aircraft stationed in Crimea with their missiles.
Crimea also plays a central role in supplying Russian troops in southern Ukraine. After all, without Crimea, it would be difficult for Moscow to implement the naval blockade of Ukrainian ports.
Immediately after the invasion, Russia managed to occupy larger areas of Crimea and secure a land link with the Russian mainland. Since mid-2023, the Ukrainian army has been trying to sever this connection through its counter-offensive.
Among other things, the military is attacking all the bridges linking Crimea to the mainland. Western precision weapons are mainly used for this purpose, including British and French cruise missiles.
Take back Crimea and then negotiate?
The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Army, General Valeriy Zalushnyj, described Crimea as a “key factor” in the war against Russia.
The retaking of the peninsula would significantly weaken Russia, but would not guarantee a military end to the war. Saluzhny warned that Russia could continue firing from its own territory even after losing Crimea.
Nevertheless, President Volodimir Zelenski still hopes to make a significant breakthrough in the area. According to him, the war began in Crimea and will end there. The best option for Kiev would be to advance into Crimea and then negotiate a Russian withdrawal. At the moment, however, it’s hard to imagine the Kremlin agreeing to this.