Russia has been forced to remove all aircraft from two of its bases in Crimea as Ukraine ramped up its operations in the area.
The Ukrainian Navy claimed Moscow ordered the relocation from the airfields of all planes, which were previously used to carry out strikes on Ukraine.
Russia built five military airfields in Crimea following its unilateral annexation in 2014 “but two of them are effectively without planes,” according to spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk.
He added that Russian forces “could relocate the planes to the mainland but they need the right logistics to supply fuel and other essentials.”
The move comes at a time when Kyiv has intensified its operations against Russia, delivering yet another blow to its forces in the Black Sea over the weekend.
The operation was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine, the Main Directorate of Intelligence and the Defense Ministry, the statement said.
Meanwhile, Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that a woman was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on an apartment building in the town of Shebekino early Sunday. Ukrainian drones also damaged several other buildings in the town, he said.
Over the past month, Moscow has experienced a surge in the tempo of drone barrages and long-range attacks targeting Russian military infrastructure, including airfields and oil depots.
Analysts say such an intensification is needed if Ukraine is to degrade Russian capabilities.