Success in the Black Sea
Ukraine retakes oil rigs off Crimea
09/11/2023 2:46 p.m
Since the war of aggression, the Russian military has been using the Boiko towers on oil rigs near annexed Crimea for military purposes. Now a Ukrainian secret service reports that the oil rigs have been recaptured. The Ukrainian military has also recorded other successes.
Ukraine has recaptured several strategically important oil rigs near the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula, according to its military intelligence. In a “unique operation” it was possible to bring the so-called Boiko towers in the Black Sea back under Ukrainian control, the secret service said.
This was strategically important for Ukraine because Russia could no longer use the gas and oil platforms for military purposes. “Russia has been deprived of the ability to fully control the waters of the Black Sea, and this brings Ukraine many steps closer to retaking Crimea.”
Drilling rigs were once important sources of natural gas in Ukraine
Russia initially did not comment on the information. They could not be independently verified. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 in violation of international law. The Boiko towers had been occupied since 2015 and Russia had used the facilities militarily since the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022. Before Russia conquered Crimea, Ukraine extracted a significant portion of its natural gas from the Black Sea, supplying gas not only to the peninsula but also to its mainland regions.
Ukraine has been pushing ahead with a counteroffensive against the Russian invading troops for about a quarter of a year. Recently she reported several military successes.
During the recapture of the Boiko towers, Ukrainian special forces fought a battle from boats with a Russian fighter jet, according to military intelligence. This was damaged and thus forced to retreat. In addition to the oil rigs, other “valuable trophies” were also captured, such as helicopter ammunition and a radar system that can track the movement of ships in the Black Sea.