UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 529 - 4 AUGUST 2023

The Ukrainian Armed Forces carried out a series of drone attacks against Russian logistics and port infrastructures in the occupied Crimea and in the Krasnodar region - an important Russian naval base - during the night of August 3-4.

The Russian Ministry of Defense claims that Russian air defense and electronic warfare units shot down up to 13 Ukrainian drones targeting Crimea. On August 4, geolocated footage shows Ukrainian drones attacking areas near an oil depot in Feodosia, Crimea, with unclear damage to Russian targets. Geographical footage from August 3-4 shows Russian forces shooting down Ukrainian naval drones near a Russian naval base in Novorossiysk, Krasnodar region, and one of the naval drones hitting the Russian landing ship of Ropucha class, Olenegorskij Gornjak.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the Russian naval artillery destroyed two Ukrainian naval drones near the base in Novorossiysk. Geolocated footage released later on August 4 shows the Olenegorsky Gornyak running aground, and a Russian auxiliary vessel towing the landing ship into the port of Novorossiysk. The full extent of the damage to the Olenegorsky Gornyak is not clear from the geographical footage, and Russian sources stated that the damage was not critical and the ship would be operational again after an unspecified repair time. According to Russian sources, the Russian Navy used the landing ship to transport civilian vehicles across the Kerch Strait, causing significant traffic disruptions.

The full Russian Offensive Update 529 is available directly from UNDERSTANDING WAR.

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