Strikes on Crimea hint to Kremlin that Ukraine is ready to target Russian energy facilities in winter – military analyst Sharp

He expressed this opinion on the Espreso TV channel

"The most important aspect of strikes on Russian military targets in Crimea is a certain symbolism. Such strikes have a great impact on Russian society, especially on those who support this war. The strike on the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters was more demonstrative and had perhaps less military significance than the strike on the fleet's reserve headquarters," Sharp explained.

The observer believes that the strike on the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters also had an intimidating effect

"Ukraine's strikes on Crimea are a problem for the Russian authorities. After all, these strikes show that they cannot effectively defend the peninsula. That is why it is more about the symbolic and media component of these strikes. The Russians' feelings that something is wrong at the front are only strengthened after such hits. I believe that these strikes also have an intimidating effect. Ahead of winter, there is much talk that Russia is preparing to resume its campaign to destroy Ukraine's energy infrastructure. And today, the Kremlin received a symbolic hint. A hint that Ukraine will also attack their energy facilities. Maybe not on the territory of the Russian Federation, but in Crimea for sure," he added.

Ukrainian military strikes on the Russian forces in Crimea

On September 14, in Yevpatoria, the SBU, together with the Navy, conducted a special operation and attacked the Russian air defense system Triumph. 

On the evening of Sunday, September 17, explosions were heard in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol and on Cape Fiolent. The occupying authorities reported the operation of Russian air defense.

On September 20, the Armed Forces of Ukraine successfully attacked the command post of the Russian Black Sea Fleet near the temporarily occupied Sevastopol.

On Friday, September 22, powerful explosions were heard in the temporarily occupied Crimea: the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed the defeat of the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol.

Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, suggested two options for the future of the Russian Black Sea Fleet: liquidation will be either voluntary or forced.