Ukraine’s ‘Crimean Switch Off’ campaign exposes Russian air-defense gaps and energy vulnerability
Ukrainian special forces say they have hit 240 Russian energy nodes in and around Crimea since July 1, knocking out radars and air-defense elements that shield the peninsula. The campaign widens the battlefield to Russia’s power grid and air-defense network, putting military planners, civilians and critical infrastructure operators on both sides under new pressure.
Ukraine is turning electricity into a weapon in the fight for Crimea, with a sustained campaign against Russian energy infrastructure that Kyiv’s forces say is dismantling radars and air-defense sites protecting the occupied peninsula. From July 1 to August 13, Ukrainian units carried out effective strikes on 240 energy “nodes” as part of an operation codenamed “Crimean Switch Off,” according to a Ukrainian commander involved in the effort. The commander said the targets included stationary radar installations and other components of Russian air-defense systems, claiming their destruction is disrupting Moscow’s ability to monitor and defend the skies over Crimea. The strikes have not been independently verified in full, and Russian…
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