Russia has effectively lost Crimea as a naval base.

Russia is currently unable to fully utilize occupied Crimea as a naval base due to ongoing Ukrainian strikes on military facilities on the peninsula.

This was stated by the spokesman for the Ukrainian Naval Forces, Dmitry Pletenchuk, as quoted by Ukrinform.

“They have effectively lost Crimea as a naval base,” Pletenchuk noted.

According to him, there’s currently no talk of a full-fledged Russian naval base on the peninsula. Ukraine continues to strike Russian military infrastructure in Crimea.

“Work there is practically ongoing 24/7. These are, of course, the military infrastructure facilities that enable the Russians to continue their presence here,” explained a Navy representative.

Pletenchuk clarified that this primarily concerns the air component of the Russian group. It is thanks to aviation that Russia retains significant influence over the situation in the Black Sea region.

As a reminder, Group 13, a special unit of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense’s Main Intelligence Directorate , burned a Russian Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile and gun system and a military crane belonging to the invaders in the temporarily occupied Crimea.