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Explosions in Crimea: Experts see "embarrassing history" for Putin's army

2023-03-21T13:40:12.175Z


Ukraine celebrates strike against Russian missiles in Crimea. Experts think an "embarrassing" setback for Putin is possible.


Ukraine celebrates strike against Russian missiles in Crimea.

Experts think an "embarrassing" setback for Putin is possible.

Dschankoj/Copenhagen - Once again, Russia has had to accept an attack far behind the front lines of the Ukraine war: Near the city of Dschankoj on the occupied Crimean peninsula, there were apparently detonations on Tuesday night (March 21) - Russian authorities confirmed at least one Anti-aircraft operation against a drone attack.

Video recordings circulating on the net could not initially be verified by several media.

Russia complained about an attack on civilian infrastructure.

Ukraine, on the other hand, celebrated the successful destruction of Russian missiles.

If the latter is true, it would be an "embarrassing story" for Vladimir Putin's occupation forces, Danish defense expert Anders Puck Nielsen judged in an interview with radio broadcaster DR shortly after the first reports.

"Embarrassing" hit for Putin?

Ukrainian Crimean Strike Could Diminish Attack Waves

According to the scientist from the Danish Defense Academy, the incident has two dimensions: one military and one more symbolic.

If Kiev's defense forces had actually eliminated Russian Kalibr cruise missiles for use on ships, Ukraine would have achieved an important victory, Puck Nielsen told the broadcaster: In this case, the next wave of air attacks could be milder.

Many of the attacks came from Putin's Black Sea Fleet.

The ships are partly able to target targets throughout Ukraine.

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Will Vladimir Putin's Navy soon run out of Kalibr missiles after a Ukrainian strike?

© Montage: Imago/Cover-Images/Itar-Tass/fn

At the same time, a lack of projectiles is conceivable, explained the defense expert.

British colleague Samuel Ramani from the British University of Oxford also pointed out dwindling Kalibr stocks in a series of tweets.

At the same time, Dschankoj is a strategically important point as the crossing point of Crimea's two main rail routes - a suspected use of drones would also be a "great success" for Ukraine: The country may have captured enough Iranian drones to now produce its own variant;

the sound of the detonations is reminiscent of the "Shahed" drones, Ramani explained.

Putin 'vulnerable in Crimea'?

Expert sees “great propaganda success in Ukraine”

If it was actually a successful drone attack, according to the Danish assessment, there would be a certain disgrace for the Russian air defense.

This should actually have been able to cope with such an attack, judged Puck Nielsen.

According to his understanding, it was a blow to a stationary train, he explained to the radio station.

However, it is unclear whether the alleged explosions were triggered by a drone, by special forces, or by a combination of both strategies.

"It seems to me that this is quite a propaganda success of Ukraine," added the expert.

"That the Ukrainians manage to show that Russia is vulnerable in Crimea - that creates both fear and attention," he stressed - citing the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, which gives the news further meaning and reach .

Pictures of the Ukraine war: great horror and small moments of happiness

Pictures of the Ukraine war: great horror and small moments of happiness

Explosions in Crimea: Another hit by Ukraine behind Russia's front?

"I think it was cruise missiles that the Ukrainians were targeting, but if Russian anti-aircraft missiles fired missiles, it's also possible that they fell in and around the city," said Puck Nielsen's colleague Claus Mathiesen with a view to the very different representations from the Russian and Ukrainian sides.

He also stressed that it would be "embarrassing" for Russia if Kiev's report of destroyed missiles was true.

Problems in finding a face-saving explanation on the Russian side are also a possible reason for conflicting accounts.

Mathiesen referred to past attacks on military bases in Russia.

In December, Ukrainian media reported on explosions at Engels airfield near Saratov in southern Russia.

At that time, too, the Russian side only confirmed anti-aircraft operations, but no destruction.

Crimea is a symbolically important target in the Ukraine war.

Kiev wants to regain the peninsula that has been occupied in violation of international law for years - Kiev's secret service said on Tuesday that the attack was a harbinger of the end of the occupation.

In an interview with IPPEN.MEDIA,

the Austrian political scientist Gerhard Mangott also recently

warned that a "endangerment" to Crimea could tempt Putin to use tactical nuclear weapons.

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List of rubrics: © Montage: Imago/Cover-Images/Itar-Tass/fn

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2023-03-21

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