Russia’s war in Ukraine has stretched past 1,020 days. Despite the lengthy conflict, Moscow has not achieved the goals it set out to accomplish at the beginning.
Now, new reports from British intelligence bring bad news for President Vladimir Putin about his military’s performance in the Black Sea region, writes Ziare.
Ukraine has dealt significant blows to Russia’s influence in the Black Sea. Through ongoing drone and missile attacks, Ukraine has weakened the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s capabilities.
This has reduced Russia’s ability to operate freely in the area, which is vital for both countries in the conflict.
The UK Ministry of Defense shared these updates on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, noting Ukraine’s successful efforts in limiting Russian operations.
British officials stated that Ukraine has damaged Russia’s naval infrastructure and ships. This has created a growing perception within the Russian Navy of the risks posed by Ukrainian attacks.
In response, the Russian navy has increased training and defensive exercises in Novorossiysk, a key port city.
Despite Ukraine’s successes at sea, Russia continues its land-based offensives. On November 28, Russia launched a major missile attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
These strikes caused widespread blackouts, affecting over a million people.
Many of the missiles were fired from the Black Sea, showing that while Ukraine has limited some Russian operations, the region remains a launch point for attacks.
The Ukrainian Air Force intercepted a large portion of the missiles. This included cruise missiles and others launched from Russian aircraft.
Ukrainian defenses have proven effective, though the attacks still caused significant disruptions.
Putin claimed these strikes were retaliation for Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied long-range missiles against Russian targets.
Meanwhile, Russian forces are advancing on land. They now control about 20% of Ukraine’s territory.
Analysts believe Putin is attempting to secure as much ground as possible before January 2025, when the United States may see new leadership under Donald Trump.
This timeline has fueled concerns that Moscow may try to force Ukraine into a settlement involving territorial concessions.
