Russian forces relocate aircraft in Crimea amid Ukrainian strikes

The partisan movement of Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars "Atesh" informed via Telegram that Russians are relocating their aircraft to inactive airports in Crimea out of fear of new Ukrainian missile attacks. Work on runways, building repairs, and transportation of equipment and personnel have been noticed, among other places, at the Zavadskoye airport in Simferopol. Most likely, fighters and bombers used for attacks on Ukraine will be relocated here.

Partisans from the "Atesh" group noted: "Due to positive trends in the destruction of Russian military facilities on the peninsula, the occupiers are quickly trying to restore abandoned sites." These include, among others, airports located in Feodosia, Kerch, and the Simferopol above. They also added: "Our agents are, however, closely monitoring this and promptly relaying information to the proper authorities."

The Russians' decision is likely related to the increasingly intense use of ATACMS ballistic missiles by Ukrainians for attacks in occupied Crimea. The latest attack of this kind took place on the night of 30 May of this year. Besides American missiles, the Ukrainians also used Magura V naval drones and traditional UAVs. Although the Russian Ministry of Defence claims that Russia allegedly managed to destroy eight ATACMS, independent sources report that some missiles (or their fragments) reached the designated targets. This information, however, needs to be confirmed with visual materials.

It is worth remembering that initially, Ukrainians used ATACMS M39 missiles, which are older medium-range versions that could strike targets up to 160 kilometres (100 miles) away. Washington handed over this weapon to Kyiv at the end of 2023. At the beginning of 2024, information about planned deliveries of long-range missiles capable of striking targets up to 300 kilometres (186 miles) away (including those located in occupied Crimea) began to surface. The first batch of these missiles arrived in Ukraine in April 2024.

MGM-140 ATACMS missiles (Army Tactical Missile System) fall into the category of precision-guided weapons. These guided missiles enable highly accurate strikes. The formidable missiles, which are about 4 metres (13 feet) long and weigh more than 1500 kilograms (3300 pounds), are manufactured by Lockheed Martin and can cause considerable destruction, especially since they can reach up to 6000 kilometres per hour (3700 mph). The weight of their warhead, depending on the version, ranges from 160 to 560 kilograms (350 to 1235 pounds). Additionally, these missiles are launchable from various rocket launchers, including the M270 MLRS or HIMARS launchers, which the Ukrainian army has in its arsenal.