The families of occupying Russian officials stationed in annexed Crimea are relocating from the Black Sea peninsula amid intensifying attacks by Ukraine's forces, according to Kyiv intelligence.
Andriy Yusov, spokesperson for Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), was quoted by the local Telegram channel Crimean Wind as saying that while Crimea remains a crucial hub for Russian military logistics in the ongoing war, occupying forces have already "relocated" part of the Black Sea Fleet to Novorossiysk, in Russia's Krasnodar Krai.
Russia has relocated many of its warships from annexed Crimea to Novorossiysk due to relentless Ukrainian attacks.
Satellite images from last October showed that Russia's fleet was fleeing from Sevastopol in Crimea to Novorossiysk. Ships were also heading to the Russian naval port in Feodosia further east on the annexed Crimean Peninsula.
More recent satellite images from April, shared by open-source intelligence OSINT researcher MT Anderson, appear to show that the Black Sea Fleet has largely abandoned its major Crimean naval bases.
"Some of the families of Russian occupation officials and collaborators also left Crimea. They are not waiting for any holiday season, but are trying to save their lives," Yusov said.
Newsweek has contacted Russia's Defense Ministry for comment by email.
Ukraine has ramped up its attacks on Crimea as part of a push to reclaim the Black Sea peninsula, which was annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014.
Dmytro Pletenchuk, formerly Ukrainian Navy spokesperson and now spokesperson for Ukraine's South Defence Forces, said in March that Kyiv's "ultimate goal is complete absence of military ships of the so-called Russian Federation in the Azov and Black Sea regions."
Pletenchuk said on July 4 that the "last patrol ship" belonging to the Black Sea fleet was moving away from Crimea.
"Remember this day," he said in a statement on his social media channels.
Occupying Russian forces in Crimea have been forced to deal with intensifying Ukrainian attacks on vessels and military bases on the peninsula.
Part of Ukraine's success in taking out Russian vessels can be attributed to its Magura V5 maritime drones. In May, Yusov said they had caused $500 million worth of damage throughout the war.
The Magura V5 drone is the "main and best weapon available to Ukraine" to target the Black Sea Fleet, he said.
Ukraine has also attempted to attack Novorossiysk, which hosts a naval base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
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About the writer
Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more
