25-8-2023 (KYIV) Ukraine’s defence ministry’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) announced on Thursday (Aug 24) that the country’s navy and military intelligence had carried out a “special operation” overnight, involving the landing of units on Russian-occupied Crimea.
While Reuters was unable to independently verify the operation, if confirmed, it would serve as a rare demonstration of Ukrainian forces staging ground operations in Crimea, which was seized and annexed by Russia in 2014.
Accompanying the statement was brief and dim video footage showing a small motorboat navigating through the water at night near a coastline. HUR stated that the landing took place on the western tip of Crimea, close to the settlements of Olenivka and Mayak.
“In the area of the Olenivka and Mayak settlements, special units on watercraft landed on the shore,” read the statement from HUR.
The statement further declared that “all goals” had been achieved and that casualties had been inflicted on the enemy, although it did not specify the nature of the goals.
“Additionally, the state flag once again flew in Ukrainian Crimea,” the statement added, without providing exact details or locations.
Russia has not commented on the report, which coincides with Ukraine’s Independence Day.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pledged on Wednesday to put an end to Russia’s occupation of Crimea, despite Russia showing no indication of relinquishing control over the peninsula.
In a separate incident on Wednesday, Ukraine’s military intelligence reported intentionally luring a Russian military pilot to land his Mi-8 helicopter at a Ukrainian airfield.
