Ukrainian intelligence reveals new naval base where Russia plans to relocate ships from Crimea

Budanov said this in an interview with Le Monde.

The intelligence chief emphasized that in 2023 Ukraine not only made the first landings on the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea, which "some people thought impossible," but also regularly attacked the Russian military fleet on the peninsula. So Russia decided to relocate its naval forces to the southeast.

"They are trying to create a naval base in Ochamchire on the occupied territory of Georgia," Budanov said.

He believes that Ukraine's operations in Crimea give hope to people who have been under Russian occupation since the annexation in 2014. 

"This gives hope - especially to Ukrainians on the peninsula who have been living under Russian occupation for 10 years, and many of them have already started to give up," the intelligence chief said. 

Moreover, according to Budanov, Ukraine maintains control over the northern part of the Black Sea, including gas production platforms.

"The sea export corridors, which are very important for our economy, are functioning again, even despite the risks," he added.

• Earlier, the spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy, Captain Dmytro Pletenchuk, said that in 2023, the Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed at least six ships and boats of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and up to 700 servicemen who were on board these vessels.