According to the latest data from July 23, 2024, the situation in the occupied Crimea is escalating. Ukrainian military intelligence reports significant movements of Russian troops on the peninsula.
In particular, Russia has begun to redeploy air defense forces, aviation and some air force personnel from the western and northern coasts of Crimea to the interior of the peninsula, closer to the Kerch Bridge. The occupiers are paying special attention to the deployment of scarce air defense systems, effectively leaving the western coast, including Sevastopol and Yevpatoria, without proper protection.
Infolight.UA’ s sources in the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense report that the military-political command of the occupation forces is trying to urgently modernize the Kirovske military airfield near Feodosia and the Bagerove airfield near Kerch, planning to build closed hangars for combat aircraft there. However, experts doubt that these plans will be realized quickly due to the technical complexity and dilapidated state of the Bagerove airfield.
These should be viewed as an attempt to protect combat aircraft and air defense systems from effective Ukrainian strikes, which were observed in 2024. It may also be an attempt to create an “air defense umbrella” over the strategically important Kerch Bridge.
Despite the deteriorating security situation, the occupation authorities are silent about threats to the civilian population. On the contrary, Russian children continue to be brought to the Crimean resorts on state-funded vouchers, especially from the Orenburg and Belgorod regions.
At the same time, high-ranking Russian officials and military personnel are moving their families out of Crimea. Part of the headquarters structure of the Russian Black Sea Fleet has already been relocated to Novorossiysk.
The representative of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Andriy Yusov in a recent comments for Suspilne Krym emphasized that there are no longer any safe places for the occupiers in Crimea, given all the means used by Ukraine – land, air and sea.
Some families of Russian occupation officials and collaborators have also left Crimea.
They are not waiting for any holiday season, but are trying to save their lives
In general, the situation indicates that the Russian command is preparing for a deterioration in the situation in Crimea, despite public statements about controlling the situation.
