2 out of 5 Russian working airfields in occupied Crimea 'operating at a minimum,' military says.

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Russia is using only five military airfields in occupied Crimea, two of which were hit by the Ukrainian military and are now functioning "at a minimum," Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk, said on Aug.

13 on national television. Following the annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014, Russia began using local airfields to station its air force and launch attacks on Ukrainian cities. The occupied peninsula has been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian drone and naval strikes, forcing Russian forces to withdraw much of its naval power and strengthen its air defenses.

According to Pletenchuk, two of the five airfields no longer have the load they had at the beginning of the full-scale invasion because they "suffered damage." The spokesperson added that Russia could have used more airfields on the occupied peninsula, but it uses only five of them. Pletenchuk did not specify the airfields used by Russian troops in occupied Crimea and which of them were damaged by Ukrainian forces.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed on July 26 that Ukraine had struck the Saky airfield. Radio Liberty's (RFE/RL) Schemes investigative project published satellite images of the airfield after the strike. The July 28 images showed dark spots on the air base where Su-30 aircraft were stationed, which may indicate a fire and explosions.

The Russian government did not comment on the strike on the airfield in occupied Crimea. The Saky military airfield in Novofedorivka has been hit several times by missiles since the beginning of the all-out war in 2022. The 43rd Fighter Aviation Regiment, as well as Su-24 bombers and Su-30 fighters, are based there.

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