Military intelligence reports successful raid on occupied Crimea

Ukrainian forces landed on Russian-occupied Crimea and raised the Ukrainian flag this morning as part of an operation with the Navy, Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR) said on Aug. 24.

Ukrainian intelligence reported that special watercraft landed on the Crimean coast at the beach near Maiak, a village on the northwestern tip of Crimea, and engaged in combat.

Maiak is less than five kilometers from Olenivka, where Ukraine reported to have destroyed a Russian missile defense system on Aug. 23.

Intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov told Ukrainian media that he could not release detailed information on the operation, but that it "had the characteristics of a raid."

Yusov said that the Ukrainian forces had already returned from the operation and that they had not suffered any losses. There were losses among Russian personnel, he added.

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Krym.Realii, the Crimean media project of the Ukrainian branch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, reported explosions at 5 a.m. local time at Maiak.

A radar base and radio engineering troop base for the Russian Aerospace Forces, the air and space branch of the Russian military, are located near Maiak.

Ukrainian intelligence said that the Russian proxy administration in Crimea has told local residents the explosions were due to the scheduled detonation of munitions.

The choice to conduct the operation and raise the Ukrainian flag on Crimea in the early hours of Aug. 24 is notable as it is Ukraine's 32nd Independence Day. Crimea has been occupied by Russia since 2014.  

Earlier in August, reports emerged about a Ukrainian raid across the Dnipro.

The Kyiv Independent's source in Ukraine's Armed Forces confirmed on Aug. 9 that Ukraine had successfully conducted a raid deep into Russian-held territories across the river.

The source, granted anonymity to speak freely about Ukraine's military operations, told the Kyiv Independent that Ukraine's military had taken 16 Russian soldiers as prisoners and brought them back to the government-controlled side of the river.

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