Illustrative Image
On the early morning of May 7, Ukrainian forces launched another major attack on Crimea. At least 22 UAVs targeted the peninsula.
The Russian Ministry of Defence reported that Russian air defence forces detected and destroyed all drones launched from Ukraine over the Black Sea.
“During the night, 22 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were detected. All Ukrainian UAVs were destroyed by fire of anti—aircraft missile systems or suppressed by electronic warfare systems,” the report says.
All Ukrainian attempts to break through the Crimean air defence were thwarted. No casualties and destruction have been recorded.
The Crimean official sources shared photos of one of the UAVs intercepted by Russian electronic warfare means.
Click to see full-size image
Click to see full-size image
This was a Chinese-made Mugen-5 Pro which can carry a payload weighing up to 25 kilograms. Its maximum flight time is 7 hours.
According to local reports, in total, the Ukrainian military launched 23 aircraft, including 22 Mugin-5 type UAVs and one Tu-141 “Strizh” reconnaissance drone.
They were reportedly launched from the Shkolny and Hydraport airfields located on the outskirts of Odessa. The UAVs targeted the city of Sevastopol and the town of Gvardeyskoe located north of Simferopol. They were intercepted by the 31 air Defense Divisions, the Black Sea Fleet and EW units.
Click to see full-size image
The Kiev regime continues daily attempts to hit the Crimean peninsula. On May 6, Ukrainian forces attacked the village of Privetnoe with the OTRK “Hrim-2” from their positions in the area of Zaporozhye. Two missiles were intercepted by Russian air defence forces. The wreckage fell in a field near the settlement. There was reportedly no damage.
The increase in the number of Ukrainian UAV targeting the Crimean peninsula is another clear sign of the upcoming Ukrainian offensive in the southern Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. The Ukrainian military is still assessing the capabilities of the Russian air defense forces. They also attempt to strike at strategically important military facilities in order to deplete Russian reserves and prevent Russian forces from launching military operations. On April 29, one of Ukrainian drones struck an oil tank in Sevastopol. However, this Ukrainian victory is unlikely to affect Russia’s actions on the front lines. So far, the cost paid by the Ukrainian military is incomparably greater than the results of the strikes.
