Ukraine warns Russia it intends to take back Crimea | Fox News
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Ukraine has been sending a message to Russia that the country has plans to retake territory that Moscow annexed in 2014.
"These fireworks mean that Crimea is coming back to Ukraine," Serhiy Bratchuk, the spokesman for Odesa regions military administration, told Britain's The Times newspaper this week.
The comments come as multiple explosions have rocked Russian bases in occupied Crimea over the last week, destroying ammunition and damaging logistics and communications lines.
Kyiv has not officially taken credit for the attacks, though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and military leaders have hinted in recent days that the explosions could be part of their planned offensive.
UKRAINE SAYS 'DEMILITARIZATION IN ACTION' AS EXPLOSIONS ROCK AMMO DEPOT IN RUSSIA-OCCUPIED CRIMEA
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a meeting with military officials during his visit to the war-hit Dnipropetrovsk region on July 8, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP, File)
"Although Ukraine hasnt officially claimed responsibility, Ukraines President Zelenskyy previously has warned about the counteroffensive being planned for August-September, and he and his top adviser,Mykhailo Podolyak, hinted about Ukrainesinvolvement in therecent explosions," Rebekah Koffler,a former DIA intelligence officer and the author of"Putins Playbook: Russias Secret Plan toDefeat America," told Fox News Digital.
Ukraine's ability to strike deep behind Russian lines would be a blow to Moscow, where leaders have so far denied that the attacks were the result of a coordinated Ukrainian effort. The Russian military has said the explosions were an act of "sabotage" and has also pinned blame on Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami, an Islamic terrorist cell.
The Russian FSB spy agency claimed on Wednesday that forces "neutralized" the six-member cell behind the attack, but Ukraine has hinted that more attacks are coming.
Speaking to the Washington Post on Wednesday, Ukraines Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Ukraine intends to keep hitting key targets deep inside Russian-held territory in the coming weeks.
UKRAINE ACCUSES RUSSIA OF CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY FOR BLOCKING THE TRANSPORT OF MEDICATION
Smoke can be seen from the beach at Saki after explosions were heard from the direction of a Russian military airbase near Novofedorivka, Crimea, on Aug. 9, 2022. (UGC via AP/File)
"Were using a strategy to ruin their stocks, to ruin their depots, to ruin their headquarters, commander quarters," he said. "Its our answer to their meat-grinder tactics."
Reznikov said that elements of Ukraine's special forces have been enlisting a "resistance force" that will be capable of hitting deep behind Russian lines, a strategy Ukrainian leaders hope will soften Russian defenses and deal a blow to morale ahead of a larger offensive.
Ukraine still lacks enough weapons and ammunition to launch a full-scale offensive into Russian-held territory, something Reznikov hopes will be coming from western countries that have poured billions into the Ukrainian war effort.
But there are some indications Moscow is growing more concerned about the security situation in Crimea, with Russian media outlets reporting that Black Sea Fleet commander Adm. Igor Osipov has been replaced by the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the attacks on the occupied peninsula. Osipov, who has been in charge of the fleet since May 2019, will be replaced by Vice Adm. Viktor Sokolov.
A view shows smoke rising above the area following a reported explosion in the village of Mayskoye in the Dzhankoi district of Crimea on Aug. 16, 2022. (Reuters)
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Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and both sides claim the peninsula is rightfully part of their territory. Ukraine has vowed in recent weeks not to give up the fight to reclaim the territory, a promise bolstered by the latest attacks in the region.
"Regardless of how exactly the attack was mountedspecial forces, pro-Ukraineguerrilla forces, strikes from within the Russian positions or stand-off distances the outcome issignificant and positive for Ukraine," Koffler said.
"The result is that Russias ammunition depots, logistics, supply and communications lines were degraded, or in some cases destroyed," she continued. "This is a major boost for Ukrainian morale and apsychologicalblow to the Russianforces."
Michael Lee is a writer at Fox News. Follow him on Twitter @UAMichaelLee
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Ukraine warns Russia it intends to take back Crimea | Fox News
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