Ukraine Destroys Russian Black Sea Base Between Kherson and Crimea

The significance is that Ukraine appears to be preparing the ground for an eventual effort to recapture the Crimea by eliminating strategic and tactical obstacles standing in its way. JL

Kaitlin Lewis reports in Newsweek:

The spit has been "strategic" for Russia's army, allowing it to exert control over the Black Sea. The Kinburn Spit is at the mouth of the Dnieper River. Ukraine's military reported that  the "base had been destroyed." Local media reports from Crimea on Friday said Russian citizens have started fleeing to neighboring Russian territories over fears that Ukraine would soon push to recapture the region. According to the reports, many Russians left after a "strike" from the Ukrainian military. 

Ukrainian armed forces have reportedly destroyed part of Russia's key "life force" on the Kinburn Spit, according to the Operational Command South of the Ukraine army.

The Kinburn Spit, which is attached to the Kinburn Peninsula in the Black Sea, was first captured by the Russian military in June and has remained one of the last occupied territories in southern Ukraine. According to Ukraine's operational command Facebook page Friday, the sandy area has been the "focus of enemy's life force, weapons and equipment."

Ukraine's military reported that its attack "demilitarized seven Russians and two auto armor units," adding that the "base point had been destroyed."

The spit has been a "strategic strip" for Russia's army, allowing it to exert control over the Black Sea. The Kinburn Spit is at the mouth of the Dnieper River, Forbes wrote, just south of Kherson. Ukraine's post on Friday said that occupying the coastal area has allowed Russia to "fire at port tugs and grain barges" coming in from the Dnieper.

But Russian soldiers were ordered to retreat from the western part of Kherson on November 11, resulting in catastrophic losses for the Kremlin's army and an increased wave of attacks from Ukraine. Newsweek previously reported that losing ground in Kherson will make Russian troops "vulnerable" to further Ukrainian offenses in the southern region. 

On Tuesday, Operational Command South reported that Ukrainian troops had "carried out more than 50 rocket and artillery attacks" against Russian troops left along the eastern bank of the Dnieper River and in the Kinburn Spit, reported the Euromaidan Press.

As Russia continues efforts to thwart Ukraine's counteroffensives, the Kremlin's military has focused on attacking civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, leading to widespread energy blackouts across the country.

On Friday, Newsweek has also reported that the city of Kherson has come under Russian bombardment since troops retreated, hitting "residential buildings, industrial concerns and transportation infrastructure."

Russian forces have begun restructuring themselves since fleeing the city of Kherson to defend Crimea, which was illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised to take the peninsula back in late August after his military began counteroffensives in the region.

Local media reports from Crimea on Friday said Russian citizens have started fleeing to neighboring Russian territories over fears that Ukraine would soon push to recapture the region. According to the reports, many Russians left after a "strike" from the Ukrainian military.