Russians deliberate evacuation of Air Forces from Ukraine’s Crimea, yet to initiate, – Ukraine’s army spox

MIG 31-K. ILLUSTRATIVE PHOTO FROM WIKIPEDIA

The Russians have not started evacuating the Air Force from Crimea, but they are discussing it.

The spokesman of the volunteer army ‘South’ Serhiy Bratchuk said this on the air of the national marathon ‘United News’, Ukrinform reported.

“The Russians have not started evacuating the Air Force from Crimea, but some conversations are already underway. Such talks began quite intensively after four Su-34 and one Su-30 were destroyed,” Bratchuk said.

He noted that Ukrainian defenders, in addition to aircraft, also hit the enemy’s logistics – airfields and infrastructure.

The spokesperson for the volunteer army ‘South’ emphasized that there is not a single military facility in Crimea that is not in the area of fire of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

As reported, the cost of one Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber is at least $50 million. Today, Russia has dozens of such aircraft in service.

Earlier this week, Ukraine’s air force said it destroyed the Russian “Novocherkassk” landing ship in a Crimean port, while Russian officials said it was damaged and claimed to have shot down two Ukrainian fighter jets.

In his post on social media, President Zelensky wrote: “The occupiers will not have a single peaceful place in Ukraine”.

The attack comes after Ukraine struck the Black Sea fleet’s headquarters in Sevastopol in September, forcing Moscow to move warships to ports further east.

British defence minister Grant Shapps wrote on Twitter that “this latest destruction of Putin’s navy demonstrates that those who believe there’s a stalemate in the Ukraine war are wrong!”

“Russia’s dominance in the Black Sea is now challenged,” he added.