What Ukraines operation against Russian-annexed Crimea means … – openDemocracy

Footage shared with openDemocracy by Borgese appears to show his unit preparing a small boat loaded with jet skis. Borgese, the commander, is a member of the ultra-conservative Christian Bratstvo battalion. The latter is the military wing of Ukraines Bratstvo political party, a small unelected group with a perplexing history of alliances and of working with the Ukrainian security services.

Ukrainian military intelligence has said in public statements that Bratstvo and another battalion, Stuhna, have participated in the raids under its command. The reason for the amalgamation, according to Borgese, is that both have selected people who are prepared for martyrdom.

Ukraines military intelligence reported losses during the second raid into Crimea conducted on 4 October, but gave no indication of their scale. The head of Russian-occupied Crimea Sergey Aksyonov thanked the Russian border services on Telegram for apprehending one of the group and later a Russian military blogger claimed that Crimean authorities discovered a body in a wetsuit that was killed duirng a scirmish.

Borgese said Ukraines military maritime experts initially dismissed the idea of using jet skis, insisting that the small boats carrying the jet skis and fuel would be detected. But, he believes, these operations have disproved their belief that Russia knows and sees everything in the Black Sea.

The Ukrainian raid on a Russian-occupied off-shore oil facility in mid-September, said Borgese, was a practice run designed to show the operation was possible and see what could go wrong. Then came Crimea.

The benefit of using a jet ski, according to Borgese, is that it cannot be detected by Russian radar systems, which are designed for ships and do not set off sea mines again designed for ships. The Ukrainian military had already seen that Russian coastguards and planes were unable to target the mined drones that they once used against the Crimean bridge. Another factor, he noted, was that good quality jet skis travelling at a low speed are relatively quiet.

Borgese also referred to a video in which Russian troops appeared to be trying unsuccessfully to hit a Ukrainian remotely-operated jet ski loaded with explosives using machine gun fire.

These special operations are not Ukraines first surprise forays into enemy territory. Bratstvo with Borgese, as well as other Ukrainian units, have also been involved in operations across the Dnipro river in the southern Kherson region, as well as into Russias Belgorod region.

The operations across the Dnipro into Russian-occupied territory were in some ways more dangerous than Crimea as Russian forces have positions all along the riverbank, Borgese said. Ukraine has since established a tiny foothold on the eastern, otherwise Russian-controlled bank of the Dnipro.

That remains shrouded in secrecy, however, as Ukraines military activities on Khersons riverbanks are a matter of strict military censorship, one Ukrainian brigadier general told openDemocracy on condition of anonymity.

While Ukraine was preparing troops for a second round of the counter offensive, and awaiting western equipment, it is now no secret that Russia was preparing its defensive lines with mines and adapting its techniques for a long war. This means Ukraine, according to analysts, needs to be more creative if it is to succeed.

Ukraines forces have edged the Russian forces back at several points in the south, south-east and east this summer a turn from Ukraines retreats around Soledar and Bakhmut in the east over the winter, but not the big break Ukraine hoped for. The line has moved a few kilometres in places and not at all elsewhere.

If Ukraine succeeds in thwarting Russias ability to use Crimea, it would leave Russia with only one supply route for its forces on the southern and south-western frontline through mainland Russia. This would make it much, much harder for Russian forces, said OBrien, professor of strategic studies at St Andrews University.

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What Ukraines operation against Russian-annexed Crimea means ... - openDemocracy