Russia has changed the launch site of its uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) strikes due to concerns about the “vulnerability of Crimea”, UK defence chiefs have said.
In its latest situation update, the Ministry of Defence said Russia has increased long-range strike on Ukraine’s infrastructure in the last few days.
UAVs have been used in these missile strikes and had been launched from within Russian-occupied Crimea, the MoD said.
“The waves of strikes have largely consisted of air and maritime launched cruise missiles, but have almost certainly also included Iranian-provided uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) being launched from Russia’s Krasnodar region,” the MoD said.
“The change of launch site is likely due to Russian concerns about the vulnerability of Crimea, while it is also convenient for resupply from the weapons’ likely arrival point in Russia, at Astrakhan.”
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 17 December 2022
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) December 17, 2022
Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/qvaiWq0n01
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/d9jqkHomEZ
Earlier this year, a key bridge linking Russia to Crimea was severely damaged following an explosion. The bridge is set to be repaired by July 2023 but its loss has hampered supply routes.
A drone strike also targeted Russia’s navy headquarters in Crimea, although Ukraine did not claim credit for conducting the attack.
Due to Russian attacks on Kharkiv, Ukrainian officials said that 60 per cent of Kyiv had been left without power on Friday. A further 70 per cent of the city was without water.
Despite the damage, the head of the Ukrainian armed forces said they intercepted 60 of the 76 missiles launched with their air defence systems.
With Russia’s invasion stalling in recent months, the MoD said on Friday that Vladimir Putin’s army has taken up a strategy of entrenchment - a plan which has not been changed since the Second World War.
The briefing said: “As shown by imagery, in recent weeks, Russian forces have continued to expend considerable effort to construct extensive defensive positions along the front line.
“They have likely prioritised the northern sector around the town of Svatove.
“The Russian constructions follow traditional military plans for entrenchment, largely unchanged since the Second World War. Such constructions are likely to be vulnerable to modern, precision indirect strikes.
“The construction of major defensive lines is further illustration of Russia’s reversion to positional warfare that has been largely abandoned by most modern Western militaries in recent decades.”
