Ukraine strikes more than 60 Russian military targets in Crimea in major blow to Vladimir Putin

Ukraine strikes more than 60 Russian military targets in Crimea in major blow to Vladimir Putin Ukraine dramatically steps up attacks on Vladimir Putin's military presence in Crimea - causing massive embarrassment to the Russian leader as special forces link up with pro-Kyiv resistance Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian positions in illegally annexed Crimea - in a daring bid to cut it off from mainland Russia. Kyiv’s special forces linked up with Crimea resistance fighters to destroy a key logistics bridge in Crimea and more than 60 Russian military targets overnight. The attacks followed days of drone and missile strikes on either side of the Kerch Strait and Russian President Vladimir Putin ’s £3billion bridge linking the two. One Ukrainian source told the Mirror: “This is a huge blow to Putin as it was his pride, a bridge which linked his country to retaken Crimea, a symbol of his spreading of influence. “The Ukrainians have shown immense patience in awaiting their moment before attacking, timed to cause maximum embarrassment and pressure on Putin. Cutting off Crimea after 12 years of illegal annexation is hugely symbolic and the attack was launched after months of Ukraine depleting the Kremlin’s energy supplies with long-range strikes.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Mr Putin is moving air defences closer to the Russian capital and to the Kerch Bridge. He said: “Measures taken by the Russian leadership in response to the situation have also been documented. One such measure is the redeployment of air defence systems from Russian regions to Moscow and to the Kerch Bridge. Basically, these are the two perimeters the Russians have been ordered to protect by weakening other areas on their own territory and in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine.” And he warned: "We are preparing new, entirely just steps in response to Russia prolonging the war and its strikes on Ukrainian territory. It is important that as many Russians as possible come to understand that it is the Russian leadership’s rejection of diplomacy that is prolonging the war. Ukraine has put forward substantive diplomatic proposals. Thank you to everyone who defends our state and our people.” Kyiv’s attacks have put half of Crimea into darkness with electricity outages and major fuel shortages as it tightens pressure on the Kremlin to cease the war. Ukrainian troops attacked 60 plus targets with medium-range drones hitting from 20- 120 miles. Power plants and gas distribution stations were smashed in Crimea and Ukraine also destroyed a drone pilot training ground in Donetsk . Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said recently: “Crimea is being isolated by drones. In the near future, the peninsula will become an island. For the Russians, the real hell is just beginning.” Explosions were heard overnight throughout Crimea and the Kerch Bridge was closed to traffic, effectively cutting off the peninsula. The Crimea attacks are a combined effort as well as hitting Russia’s domestic energy supplies as Kyiv tries to embarrass Putin into stopping the war. But Russia is exacting a huge price in revenge for Kyiv’s attacks on the Kremlin’s energy supplies which have funded Putin’s war. Russian strikes killed nine people across Ukraine on Tuesday. In Kryvyi Rig, Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s home town, two men aged 25 and 34 and a 54-year-old woman were killed. Separate Russian attacks on the region killed three others, while strikes on the southern regions of Odesa, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson killed one person each.