Vladimir Putin’s gamble has backfired after Ukraine launched a significant drone offensive targeting the occupied Crimean Peninsula and various regions across Russia.
This escalation comes as Russian forces extend their frontline attack in the north-east Ukrainian region of Kharkiv.
The Russian Defence Ministry reported that air defenses intercepted 51 Ukrainian drones over Crimea, 44 over the Krasnodar region, and six over the Belgorod region.
Additionally, Russian warplanes and patrol boats reportedly destroyed six sea drones in the Black Sea.
Despite these defences, social media footage revealed fires in the coastal town of Tuapse, in the southern Krasnodar region, following drone strikes on an oil refinery.
READ MORE: Ukraine outnumbered two-to-one on battlefield as ‘tide turns in Russia’s favour’
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Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russia-installed governor of Sevastopol, said the city experienced a “partial blackout” after debris from downed drones damaged an electrical substation.
Ukrainian intelligence confirmed attacks on the substation, an oil depot, and a railway station in the Russian port city of Novorossiysk.
This surge in drone activity came as Ukraine‘s army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said the front line had expanded by approximately 43 miles in the Kharkiv region, following a surprise Russian assault launched a week ago.
“The enemy expanded the zone of active hostilities by almost 70km, thus trying to force us to use an additional number of brigades from the reserve,” Mr Syrskyi said on Telegram.
He also indicated that he expects the fighting to intensify, as Kyiv’s troops are preparing to defend in the northern region of Sumy.
Ukraine has fought back Russia‘s attacks with vigour. Satellite imagery released this morning showed that at least two Russian fighter jets have been destroyed at an airbase in occupied Crimea.
The Russian defence ministry reported an attack on the Belbek airbase, in the port city of Sevastopol, on Tuesday night, attributing the assault to US-supplied ATACMS long-range missiles.
The ministry claimed to have “destroyed” all 10 missiles fired. However, the new satellite imagery appears to cast doubt on that claim.