Russia Needs To Move Some Forces To "Defend” Occupied Crimea - ISW

Russia will probably need to withdraw some of its forces from the front line to "defend" the occupied Crimea.

This is stated in the report of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrainian News Agency reports.

It is noted that Russia's inability to stop attacks on its facilities in the Crimea can cause discontent in Russian society.

According to analysts in their report, social media footage already shows that many Russians are waiting in traffic jams to leave Crimea and go to Russia, which may indicate growing public concern for the effectiveness of Russian security measures.

At the same time, as noted by the South Operational Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russian Federation increased its ship grouping in the Black Sea to 15 units.

"The ship grouping of the enemy fleet after the storm in the Black Sea has been increased to 15 units that continue to maneuver in missile-safe areas of the sea," the command said.

It is noted that at the ready there are two surface and one underwater missile carrier with a total salvo of 20 Kalibr missiles and two large landing ships.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, in occupied Sevastopol they announced an attack on the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation. In Sevastopol and Yevpatoria, they also reported explosions and the operation of air defense.

The Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation lost about half of its aircraft as a result of the strike of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the Saky military airfield near the village of Novofedorivka in the west of the occupied Crimea.