Earlier, 10-14 boats and ships of the Russian occupiers patrolled the Kerch Strait, but now there are none. Therefore, the invaders are using boom barriers and barges near the Crimean bridge, as well as adding an air component, said Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk in a comment to LIGA.net.
According to him, the Russians are trying to compensate for the absence of their naval presence in the strait with these measures. Previously, they had 10 to 14 ships and boats on duty there simultaneously, but now there are none.
As a result, they have to reinforce passive security measures (barges and boom barriers) and strengthen the air component (planes and helicopters), Pletenchuk explained.
Boom barriers are also being used to try to protect ships that are still in ports: the occupiers are placing barriers both at the base in Novorossiysk in Russia and in occupied Crimea, as well as around the Crimean bridge, the military spokesperson noted.
At the same time, he acknowledged that the boom barriers are an attempt to protect against Ukrainian surface drones, but they also hinder Russian shipping.
The spokesperson noted that this is currently “almost the only way for them to ensure security.”
Pletenchuk also explained the Russian tactic of placing barges near the Crimean bridge, particularly by using corner reflectors.
“A structure is created at a distance from the bridge that can resemble the target object to weapons (missiles. – Ed.). The calculation is that the weapons being used might target these structures. Similarly, it can also serve as a shield against drone attacks,” he noted.
However, the military spokesperson concluded that there is nothing fundamentally new in this Russian tactic.
Note: Boom barriers are floating barriers used to restrict the spread of anything on the water’s surface.