Ukraine disrupts Russian naval strategy in Black Sea offensive
The Ukrainian naval forces, along with other units of the armed forces, have successfully reduced Russia's dominance in the Black Sea using the R-360 Neptune missile system, unmanned kamikaze ships, and Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles, reported Ukrainian Navy Commander Oleksiy Neizhpapa on Thursday.
"Overall, this is the productive work of the entire Ukrainian Defence Forces. The first successful instance was with the use of the Neptune missile system. Subsequently, in a joint Navy and SBU operation, we employed maritime kamikaze drones that penetrated Sevastopol Bay," Neizhpapa said in an interview with ArmyInform.
The Vice Admiral also emphasized joint operations with the air forces of the Armed Forces, utilizing the French-British air-to-surface cruise missiles Storm Shadow/SCALP EG.
It is important to highlight the attacks by our Air Forces with missiles from our partners, Storm Shadow/SCALP. This is a highly effective, multi-stage collaborative effort involving all Ukrainian Defence Forces, which initially disabled the Russian navy's capability to operate in the western section of the Black Sea and subsequently compelled them to withdraw from the bays of occupied Sevastopol to Novorossiysk. We also rendered the Sea of Azov hazardous for manoeuvres, Neizhpapa stated.
Strikes on gas platforms
According to earlier reports, the navy executed drone attacks on occupied gas platforms near Crimea; surveillance systems on the platforms were destroyed.
"We cannot permit the enemy to have maritime awareness; we cannot allow them to track our civilian or warships and have a comprehensive understanding of the situation. We are focusing on demolishing these towers, not only with our maritime drones but also with other types of weapons," he declared.
The Vice Admiral noted that the navy is aware that the enemy stationed special forces on the platforms, yet their logistics depend solely on air supply using helicopters. "We will persist in targeting such towers in the future," Neizhpapa emphasized.
