Russian air defense crews in occupied Crimea anticipate large-scale strikes between 24-26 February, when Ukraine will mark the third anniversary of the start of Russia’s all-out war and are taking every possible measure to avoid duty, the Atesh partisan movement reports.
Atesh, formed in September 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, claimed to have developed a network of agents within the Russian military. They have also established training courses to instruct Russian soldiers on how to damage their own equipment.
According to the partisans, conflicts have arisen among personnel over leave requests, while some soldiers are feigning illness to secure hospital stays, fearing Ukrainian strikes.
Russia’s military command reportedly acknowledges the critical vulnerability of its air defense systems, particularly after relocating several units from Crimea to Russia. In response, internal security forces have intensified counter-sabotage measures to prevent intelligence leaks of their locations.
Despite these efforts, local residents and even Russian soldiers continue to disclose air defense positions. ATESH suggests that the number of installations in Crimea will likely dwindle further in the near future.
Earlier, the partisans reported that Russia was moving electronic warfare systems 900 kilometers (560 miles) from St. Petersburg to its border with Ukraine to defend against increasing Ukrainian drone strikes.
The Russian army appears compelled to redeploy these complexes to counter Ukrainian drones targeting Russian oil refineries, ammunition depots, and other critical military logistics installations at an increasing rate.
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