After successful strikes by Ukraine’s Armed Forces poked holes in both Russian warships and the Kremlin’s naval strategy, Moscow is abandoning its longtime “safe harbor” at Crimea.
  • @Edgelord_Of_Tomorrow@lemmy.world
    15•9 months ago

    There is no point Russia remaining in Ukraine if they can’t use Sevastopol. In strategic terms this essentially puts Russia back in 2013. They’re now burning money and lives for, what, some beaches tourists can use when they aren’t covered in black smoke?

    • partial_accumen
      12•9 months ago

      In strategic terms this essentially puts Russia back in 2013.

      In 2013 Russia still had the naval base in Sevastopol.

      I would think it puts Russia back at 1997. That was the year that the Soviet fleet was divided between Russia and Ukraine, and Ukraine leased the Sevastopol naval base to Russian with the lease running to an expiry date in 2017.. I just learned for the first time looking up this exact date that Ukraine told Russia that the Sevastopol lease would NOT be extended beyond 2017 which was the agreed end date. That gives a reason to understand Russia’s motivation (not a good excuse) that Russia invaded Crimea in 2014.

        • partial_accumen
          5•9 months ago

          I understand their motivation for 2014 invasion of Crimea. It went so well that they thought they could do it again and the world would ignore it. I don’t understand why Russia continues now that it is clear that they’re going to lose and they’ve become a global pariah. Russia is well on its way to being a vassal state to China.

          • @bradorsomething@ttrpg.network
            5•9 months ago

            imagine trying to tell putin 2 years ago that in 2023 he’d be pulling his ships back from Crimea and putting out the red carpet for North Korea to beg for military equipment assistance.

          • @IvanOverdrive@lemm.ee
            2•9 months ago

            I don’t understand why Russia continues

            Simple. If they last until 2024 and Trump gets elected, he’ll deliver Ukraine to Putin wrapped in a bow. Also, Putin knows if he loses Crimea, he’ll go from being president to hanging from a lamp post.

    • @UlaraOPУкраїнська
      -1•9 months ago

      From the very start of the Pootin’s rule, Ruscists have been burning money and lives essentially to keep Pootin in power and to restore the empire. Retreating back is unacceptable simply because it undermines Pootin’s power and buries imperial dreams.