Will Russia lose its control over Crimea? | news

The Crimean Peninsula returns to the center of the action in the midst of the Russian war on Ukraine. Intense Ukrainian attacks with drones and missiles target major supply routes and energy facilities, causing a loss of fuel and complicating the supply of Russian forces on the peninsula.

A report by Al Jazeera, prepared by its correspondent in Moscow, Zaur Schug, monitored developments in the situation on the peninsula and the complexities of the scene there in light of the continuing war between Ukraine and Russia.

Kiev does not hide that the attacks launched by its forces in recent weeks on the Crimean Peninsula aim to isolate the region and impose a siege on it.

Although Russian air defenses are trying to confront hundreds of Ukrainian drones and missiles, the recent Ukrainian attacks have affected energy, transportation, and electricity infrastructure, as well as land supply routes.

According to the Al Jazeera report, the Ukrainian strikes effectively paralyzed the movement of fuel tankers and trucks that use the main supply road known as the “Novorossiya Highway,” which connects Crimea, via a narrow land strip, to Russia’s areas of control in Donetsk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson.

The strikes also caused a severe fuel crisis on the peninsula, which is what energy security expert Igor Yushkov pointed out when he spoke to Al Jazeera.

Yushkov said that the fuel shortage raises the cost of transporting all types of goods and disrupts movement, noting that residents face difficulty in purchasing fuel and an increase in commodity prices. Also, a large part of Crimea’s economy depends on the tourist season.

He added that Ukraine’s attempts to target the transportation infrastructure linking Crimea to other Russian regions increases concern, suggesting that Kiev is trying to isolate Crimea, and perhaps improve its military position in this direction.

In addition to the loss of fuel, the Crimean regions suffer from frequent and long power outages, due to Ukraine’s targeting of the main electrical power stations on the peninsula, which increases the burden on the service sector, businesses, and even public transportation, as many internal transport buses operate with electricity.

Russian actions

Russia, in return, is trying to thwart attempts to blockade the peninsula and any possible Ukrainian landing operations on its shores, by ensuring the supply of the Russian armed forces and the many military bases in Crimea.

Political analyst Alexei Yaroshenko rules out that Russia will lose its control over the Crimean Peninsula, as he assured Al Jazeera that Russia has taken all necessary measures to reduce what appears to be fragility on the island.

He added that Russia is always aware that Crimea is a priority target, due to its geographical location, as it is only connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus, in addition to the Crimean Bridge, which is subject to repeated attacks.

The Al Jazeera report concluded that questions arise about the extent to which Russia is able, under the current circumstances, to maintain the initiative in a region whose historical conscience is a symbol of Russian military glory.

It is noteworthy that Russia and Ukraine continue to exchange massive air attacks using drones, as the Ukrainian strikes targeted vital and military facilities deep inside Russia, while the Russian attacks caused deaths and caused damage to energy facilities in several Ukrainian cities.