Members of the Ukrainian Navy and the country’s intelligence services carried out what they described as a “special operation” that involved moving forces toward Crimea, a peninsula Russia has held since 2014. In a video released by the Ministry of Defense, the Ukrainian flag is shown, signaling a formal presence on the ground there.
The plan, announced for this morning, envisioned troops reaching a coastal area at the western edge of a district between Olenivka and Mayak. The area remains under Moscow’s control following the 2014 annexation, and the maneuver underscores Kyiv’s long-stated objective to reclaim the peninsula through strategic actions along the front lines.
Reports cited by UNIAN indicate that Ukrainian officials described clashes with Russian forces during the operation and suggested there were casualties on the opposing side. The Ukrainian side was asserted to have exited the engagement without sustaining injuries, according to the official version.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has consistently insisted on restoring Ukraine’s sovereignty over Crimea, spoke from Kyiv expressing cautious optimism about the operation. He noted that while the action is symbolically significant, it is premature to declare the peninsula liberated.
Zelensky also confirmed, based on a phone briefing from Ukraine’s intelligence leadership, that there were no reported Ukrainian casualties. The operation carries special resonance as it coincides with Independence Day commemorations and the broader history of Ukraine’s relationship with the former Soviet Union.