Ukraine claims landing troops in Russian-annexed Crimea on independence day
- 25 August, 17:42
More than a year since Russia launched the full-fledged invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv has for the first time sent troops to Crimea in its most ambitious operation in the Russian-annexed region.
The Ukrainian Defense Intelligence announced on August 24 that the country’s special forces landed on the Western shore of Crimea, near the settlements of Olenivka and Mayak. The operation was carried jointly with the country’s Navy.
“While performing the task, Ukrainian defenders clashed with the occupier’s units. As a result, the enemy suffered losses among its personnel and destroyed enemy equipment,” the intelligence agency said. The agency posted a short video purportedly showing Ukrainian soldiers raising the national flag. Gunfire sounds can be heard in the footage.
Ukraine has launched multiple attacks on the Crimea peninsula since the start of Moscow's full-fledged invasion of the country last year. Officials in Kyiv refer to the territory as "temporarily occupied" in statements. However, Kremlin has shown no signs of abandoning Crimea that it illegally annexed back in 2014 and has been using to launch missile attacks on Ukrainian targets ever since.
