Blackout and a blinded radar: Ukraine hits Russian military infrastructure across Crimea and beyond

On 13 August, Ukraine’s Defense Forces launched a series of strikes targeting Russian military infrastructure across Crimea and extending beyond the immediate front line. The attacks were part of Ukraine’s broader "Middle-Strike" campaign, which aims to weaken Russia's ability to conduct and sustain combat operations.

The most significant target was a Russian Nebo-U long-range radar station in Sevastopol, occupied Crimea. The Nebo-U radar, designed to detect and track airborne targets including aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, was disabled during the overnight attacks. This weakening of Russia's detection capabilities could potentially give Ukrainian weapons a better chance of reaching their targets.

In addition to the Nebo-U radar, Ukrainian forces struck several other military targets in occupied Crimea. These included a control tower at the Saky airfield and a communications relay near Chornomorske, which was used to control Russian Geran and Gerbera strike drones. The strikes also targeted Russian logistics and supply sites, such as a drone control center near Myrne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a fuel and lubricants depot near Dovzhansk in Luhansk Oblast, and an ammunition depot near Novyi Hai in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Another strike hit a Russian logistics and equipment depot near Kalanchak in Kherson Oblast.

Ukraine also reported striking a Russian personnel concentration area near Butyrky in Belgorod Oblast, Russia. The nature and extent of the damage at these individual sites were not disclosed. This series of strikes is part of Ukraine's ongoing efforts to target Russian military infrastructure beyond the battlefield, focusing on command, logistics, air defense, and other military facilities in support of their "Middle-Strike" campaign.