MOSCOW — Russian soldiers created a significant missile installation on Cape Tarkhankut in western Crimea after seizing the peninsula from Ukraine in February 2014. Russian forces stationed there include an S-400 surface-to-air missile battery, a battery equipped with Bastion anti-ship cruise missiles, and a Podlet K1 and maybe other radars. The Bastion could hit ships at a distance of around 190 miles, while the Podlet helped the S-400 battery threaten aerial targets as far away as 250 miles, protecting the entire western Black Sea. Land targets are likewise fair game for a Bastion’s firepower.
Cape Tarkhankut is undoubtedly the most important part of Russia’s air and naval defenses in the Black Sea and the Crimea. So on Wednesday, the Ukrainian military decided to blow it up. We don’t know the whole details, but we do know that the cape was shaken by a series of explosions at roughly 10:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday. The Russian installation may have been struck by Ukrainian S-200 ballistic missiles or Storm Shadow cruise missiles. There’s also the remote possibility that saboteurs or drones were to blame.
The Bastion battery was allegedly destroyed, according to Petro Andriushchenko, advisor to the deposed mayor of Russian-occupied Mariupol. The S-400 battery and its crew, according to Ukrainian intelligence, were also destroyed. It’s unlikely that the Podlet K1 and other huge peninsula-based radars went unnoticed. This is a devastating blow to the invaders’ air defenses and will have far-reaching consequences for the future of the occupied Crimea, the spy agency said.
Ten weeks into their counteroffensive, Ukrainian forces have made it clear that they intend to break the land connection between Russia and Crimea by pushing the front line all the way to the Black Sea in occupied southern Ukraine. This would force the Russian occupiers on the peninsula to rely on ships and planes for supplies. The Ukrainians may begin starving the garrison if they severed their supply lines, creating favorable conditions for the eventual capture of Crimea. Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has stated that “without a fight,” liberating Crimea is Ukraine’s top priority.
Russia’s air and naval defenses on the peninsula are meant to prevent a blockade of the Russian troops, which would be necessary for this to happen. Destroying a strategic missile and radar facility makes the blockade more workable. Explosive-laden drone boats are swarming Russian naval outposts, while Storm Shadows and S-200s are picking at Russian air bases, logistics facilities, and bridges in an increasing Ukrainian attack on Russian strongholds in Crimea. As the Russian air and naval defenses disintegrate, the Ukrainian drones and missiles will become more aggressive in their attacks.
