Capture of these small platforms was a prelude to a larger Ukrainian operation that is currently unfolding in the Black Sea and Crimea. Additionally, air defence could be layered by deploying air defence missiles on the platforms forcing Ukrainian attackers to fly through layers of defences long before reaching targets in Crimea. Last week’s announcement put recent Ukrainian commando attacks on Russian air defence missiles in Crimea into a new perspective. Since then, Russian air defence radars and missile systems in Crimea have been subjected to a persistent campaign of attacks. Last week, having suppressed Russia’s air defence over Crimea Ukraine struck hard.

Source: New Zealand Herald September 18, 2023 04:51 UTC