Ukrainian special forces land in Russian-occupied Crimea: reports
Ukraine’s navy and military intelligence carried out an ambitious „special operation” in the early hours of Thursday in which they landed troops on the shores of the Russian-occupied Crimea peninsula, according to news reports.
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The operation coincided with Ukraine’s Independence Day and aimed to demonstrate that Ukrainian forces are able to stage ground operations in Crimea, which Russia seized and annexed in 2014, the Reuters news agency reported.
„Special units on watercraft landed on the shore in the area of the Olenivka and Mayak settlements,” the Ukrainian defence ministry’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) said in a statement, as cited by Reuters.
The statement said „all goals” had been achieved and „casualties inflicted on the enemy,” according to Reuters.
„Also, the state flag flew again in Ukrainian Crimea,” HUR said.
Its spokesman Andrii Yusov told reporters: “The special operation continues. We are not disclosing all the details.”
He added, without elaborating, that „the enemy suffered personnel and equipment losses,” Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday vowed to end Russia’s occupation of Crimea, Reuters reported.
Polish President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday reiterated his condemnation of Russia’s illegal occupation of Crimea and other parts of Ukraine.
Russia annexed the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine by land, air and sea, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
Thursday is day 547 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Thursday, August 24, also marks 32 years since Ukraine regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
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Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters, ukrinform.net, tysol.pl
