The Russian army command has begun withdrawing individual anti-aircraft missile units from occupied Crimea and redeploying them deep into Russia, according to the Atesh guerrilla movement in a Friday Telegram post.
The report citing Atesh’s agents within the Russian Armed Forces said, “This decision is dictated not only by strikes from the Ukrainian Defense Forces on oil depots and military infrastructure, but also by public pressure inside Russia.”
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
The guerrillas claim that some systems, including units of the 31st Air Defense Division, are already being relocated from the peninsula to new positions.
“The occupiers understand that this step creates critical gaps in the defense of Crimea, but they have no other choice,” Atesh reported.
As a result, airfields, military warehouses, and the Kerch Bridge remain vulnerable, the report reads. The partisan group further noted that attacks by Ukrainian long-range drones demonstrate that Putin regime’s inability to protect military facilities in regions such as Belgorod, Kursk, and Voronezh. They claim that the losses at oil depots and logistics hubs in Russia have reached a critical point.
“The Putin regime may lose the ability to effectively supply its troops with fuel, which will inevitably affect their combat capability at the front,” the report said.
Atesh credited this outcome not only on strikes by Ukrainian defense forces but also to the guerrillas’ own active operations. “We know that the enemy is weak, and now he is creating favorable conditions for us to completely defeat him,” the statement said.
Ukraine Advances 5km Inside Russia, Battles Rages in New Kursk Offensive
However, in a mid-January report, partisans claimed that the Russian army had deployed additional air defense systems to Crimea to protect key military targets, thereby exposing other parts of the front.
The partisans said they conducted reconnaissance of the “Hvardeyskoye” military airfield near Simferopol, which Russian forces heavily use for aviation and logistics operations in Crimea. This facility is crucial for providing air support and supplying Russian forces in southern Ukraine.
Atesh’s agents recorded a significant increase in air defense systems at the airfield, discovering numerous S-400 launchers and radar stations.
“We note that the occupiers have moved additional air defense assets to Crimea to protect key military objects, thereby exposing other parts of the front. This shows the vulnerability of their defense and underscores the importance of military sites located in Crimea,” the partisans reported.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
