Russian forces in Crimea prepare defenses amid fears of Ukrainian landing
Russian soldier (Photo: Getty Images)
Due to the active actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to block the peninsula, Russian units in Crimea conducted special staff exercises. They were preparing to repel a Ukrainian attack in the event of an amphibious landing, according to The Insider.
According to the Insider, Russian military expert and reserve colonel Viktor Murakhovsky took part in the operational command-staff military game Crimean Awakening. The exercise examined possible Ukrainian attacks to liberate Crimea from Russian units.
"The headquarters, according to the scenario, were organized with officers (in reserve and retired) of our armed forces. The 'Blue' side acted unconventionally, widely using the latest means of detection and engagement. The 'Red' side was forced to act 'from defense.' Overall, the exercises were conducted thanks to the organizers in a coordinated manner, at a high level," the Russian military officer reported.
As The Insider notes, Murakhovsky added a topographic map of Crimea and the adjacent waters of the Black Sea in the 1942 coordinate system (SK-42), which is used in the Russian graphic editor Ravelin for security forces.
The map shows numerous blue arrows and routes stretching from the Odesa side and the northwestern part of the Black Sea toward Crimea, as well as red defensive positions around Sevastopol, northern and eastern Crimea, including the area of Kerch and the Kerch Strait.
Staff analysis of the situation in the event of a possible Ukraine's attack on the Russian army in Crimea (photo: The Insider)
The Insider emphasizes that, judging by Murakhovsky's post and the attached map, the scenario modeled not a classic amphibious operation from the World War II era, but a modern operation involving the mass use of drones, long-range precision weapons, and high-speed boats.
Context of the event
The Armed Forces of Ukraine are systematically dismantling the Russian army's defenses and critical infrastructure in Crimea. Recently, Ukrainian drones, in just 48 hours on July 1 and 2, struck 12 substations and 1 gas distribution station in the temporarily occupied territories.
By the way, the Defense Forces of Ukraine targeted not only substations in Crimea. One of Russia's largest oil refineries is burning again.
