Ukraine leader says Russian assets are no longer safe in the Black Sea
"Ukraine's leader sends a strong message to Russia: Black Sea assets no longer guaranteed safety
Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, asserted on Tuesday that recent Ukrainian offensives in the western Black Sea have obstructed the Russian fleet from establishing secure bases and maritime routes as Ukrainian forces aim to push Russian occupying troops out of the Crimean Peninsula.
Crimea has served as a crucial rear support area for Moscow’s military operations to the west, and it has consistently been a focal point for Ukrainian forces’ attacks since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The Russian fleet is no longer capable of operating in the western part of the Black Sea and is gradually retreating from Crimea,” Zelenskyy claimed, without providing evidence. “This is a historic achievement.”
Ukraine is eager to demonstrate that the substantial arsenal of weapons provided by its Western partners has enabled it to achieve advancements in the ongoing conflict, now in its 21st month, even as a widespread deadlock persists.
As the war, which is expected to continue through another winter and likely well into the next year, persists, Kyiv is urging its allies to supply additional military resources. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials are vying for global attention alongside the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Ukraine’s military currently lacks the capability to launch attacks on targets in Crimea and its surrounding waters. However, Ukraine leader Zelenskyy indicated that this capability is gradually advancing, as he conveyed to a diplomatic gathering known as the Crimea Platform during a virtual meeting in Prague. He did not provide further details on this matter.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced that their troops targeted three Ukrainian naval drones in the Black Sea on the morning of Tuesday.
In 2014, Russia took control of Crimea, located in eastern Ukraine. In February of the previous year, it initiated a comprehensive military offensive with the goal of incorporating the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia into its territory.
Since the agreement that permitted Ukraine to export grain without endangering its safety during the ongoing conflict fell apart in August, Zelenskyy has noted that a fresh export route through the Black Sea has enabled around 50 ships to embark on their journeys, and an additional 50 departures are anticipated. However, specific details were not disclosed.
In other developments:
During the German-Ukrainian Business Forum in Berlin, Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal revealed that Rheinmetall, a German defense conglomerate, and the Ukrainian Defense Industry have established a collaborative enterprise. Shmyhal described this as a momentous development that enhances the level of cooperation between our nations. The newly established company will be in charge of providing maintenance and repair services for the tools that Ukraine’s allies have given it.
Ukraine’s aerial forces reported that they successfully downed six Russian unmanned aircraft in the central and southern parts of the country on Monday night. The Ukrainian military stated that these drones were launched from Crimea. In the southern region of Ukraine, two Ukrainian civilians tragically lost their lives due to Russian shelling, and at least 20 others were wounded in the southeast, according to the presidential office.
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