Russian Aviation Starts Fleeing From Crimea

Following the destruction of the Cyclone and the strike on the Kushchevskaya airbase.

Ukrainian special services effectively destroy air defence systems and enemy aircraft in Crimea. In order to save aircrafts, the Russians have started to move them to other airfields on Russian territory.

Roman Svitan, a flight instructor, colonel of the AFU in reserve and military expert, explained for Channel 24 what this will mean for the South of Ukraine and for the front line.

Strikes on the Navy

On the night of May 19, the AFU Naval Forces destroyed, in addition to the Kovrovets minesweeper, a Kalibr carrier - the Cyclone small missile ship - in Sevastopol. The hits were made by two ATACMS missiles.

The media also wrote that Ukraine could have received from its partners specifically ultra-precise missiles of this type.

Earlier Ukraine received the M-39 missile. Its range is 155 kilometres, it has a cluster munition. It does not reach Sevastopol.

Svitan explained that there are three types of missiles that could have provided to fulfil this task:

M39A1: range 300 kilometres, contains a munition that consists of 275 submunitions. It explodes in mid-air and can damage enemy equipment or personnel, but is unlikely to have been able to pinpoint a ship;

probably M48 or M107 missiles were used.

They also fly at a distance of 300 kilometres, but have a 225 kilogram fragmentation charge. These missiles go directly to the target, their deflection radius is only a few metres.

Strike on Russian Airfield

Also in the past day, Ukrainian security services struck the Russian Kushchevskyaa airfield. Several dozen Su-34, Su-35, Su-27, and MiG-29 aircraft were reportedly stationed there.

The reserve colonel said that there was a combat training base at Kushchevskaya, which the enemy was now using as an operational airfield. Several squadrons of aviation from Crimea were transferred there after the hits.

"They stuffed a lot of them there, and the explosion had serious consequences. We are waiting for confirmation on the number and consequences," the analyst added.

It is also where smart bombs are being modernised and sent to the southern direction of Ukraine.

Some aircraft have been relocated as far as the Olenya airfield, which is 1,500 kilometres from Ukraine. However, Ukrainian killing mechanisms, particularly drones, are reaching there as well, Svitan noted.

"It may not only be fear of elimination, but preparations for new missile strikes. Therefore, in the near future we need to be careful and constantly monitor the movement of the Tus," the reserve colonel added.

Aviation is Fleeing from Crimea

It was also reported that Russia has started evacuating army personnel from the Dzhankoy airfield. Aircraft are being redeployed to Kerch to the Kirovske airfield, which is also being modernised. Also observation towers are being built almost at every 500 metres in Crimea.

"The aviation is now being transferred from Dzhankoy, Belbek, Saki to "Kushchevskaya". It is very far from there to work on the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia fronts, except that they will be able to operate in the East," Svitan noted.

The expert explained that the Russians will now try to restore airfields in eastern Crimea, near the Kerch bridge, in order to return there and be able to work in southern Ukraine.