“Crimea Fortress”: how many Russian troops are deployed on the peninsula
Five years ago, Russia regained the Crimea. For this fundamental decision, the country pays a high price with international sanctions, but there are reasons that outweigh these costs. The peninsula is an unsinkable aircraft carrier in the Black and Azov Seas, and after 2014 it was controlled not by Kiev and Washington, but by Moscow.
During the years of Ukrainian rule, the military infrastructure of the peninsula, remaining there since the times of the USSR, was very seriously destroyed. Has the Russian Federation managed to turn Crimea into an impregnable fortress again in five years?
Aviation
The Crimean sky is protected by the 27th mixed air division of the Russian Air Force, armed with the Su-24M, Su-25SM, Su-27, Su-27P, Su-27SM, Su-27UP and Su-30M2 aircraft, as well as Mi-8 helicopters , Mi-35M, Mi-26 and Ka-52. They are deployed at the airfields Dzhankoy, Belbek and Guards.
However, this is far from all the possibilities for deploying military aircraft in the Crimea. Under the USSR, the Oktyabrskoe, Vesyoloye, Bagerovo, Donuzlav airfields were built. The giant runway in Bagerovo, the Ukrainian authorities simply dismantled and sold for materials. Donuzlav, where the Be-12 flying boats were previously based, has long been abandoned. The same fate befell Oktyabrskoe and Veseloe, where the Tu-22M3 naval missile-carrying aircraft were located.
Currently, these military infrastructure facilities have not yet been restored. If they are put into operation at airfields, it will be possible to place Tu-22M3 bombers and MiG-31BM interceptors equipped with the same “Daggers”. Obviously, this will sharply increase the combat capabilities of the “aircraft carrier” Crimea.
Defense
The sky above the peninsula is covered by the 31st Air Defense Division, stationed in Sevastopol and Feodosia. It is armed with S-400 and ZRPK Pantsir-C1 complexes.
Crimea is a very good platform for hosting the missile attack warning system station. One of them, such as the Dnieper, has been located in Khersones since the Soviet era, but fell into decline under Ukraine. Given the US withdrawal from the INF Treaty, it is necessary to replace it as soon as possible with the modern radar SPRN Voronezh-SM.
Fleet
Crimean bays are extremely convenient for parking, it is not without reason that Sevastopol Bay is one of the three best in the world. It is she who is the main base of the Black Sea Fleet of Russia. After the reunification of the peninsula with our country, the possibilities of the Navy have grown significantly, but the Turkish fleet, our main adversary from NATO on the Black Sea, is still outnumbering it.
However, Russian frigates, small missile ships and submarines are equipped with Caliber-NK / PL cruise missiles, which are capable of hitting targets not only in Turkey, but also, for example, Germany or France, which are NATO members. When the Caliber-M enters the arsenal, their range will already be 4500 kilometers. In a couple of years, the Black Sea Fleet will be amplified by additional patrol and small missile ships capable of carrying such cruise missiles.
Ground forces
The security of Crimea on earth is ensured by the 22nd Army Corps, created by combining the land and coastal forces of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. According to some estimates, its number can reach 25 thousand people. This group is able to not only protect the peninsula from potential Ukrainian invasion, but also, if necessary, participate in a “campaign to Kiev”.
In general, over the past five years, Crimea has seriously strengthened militarily, but there is still a lot of work ahead.
During the years of Ukrainian rule, the military infrastructure of the peninsula, remaining there since the times of the USSR, was very seriously destroyed. Has the Russian Federation managed to turn Crimea into an impregnable fortress again in five years?
Aviation
The Crimean sky is protected by the 27th mixed air division of the Russian Air Force, armed with the Su-24M, Su-25SM, Su-27, Su-27P, Su-27SM, Su-27UP and Su-30M2 aircraft, as well as Mi-8 helicopters , Mi-35M, Mi-26 and Ka-52. They are deployed at the airfields Dzhankoy, Belbek and Guards.
However, this is far from all the possibilities for deploying military aircraft in the Crimea. Under the USSR, the Oktyabrskoe, Vesyoloye, Bagerovo, Donuzlav airfields were built. The giant runway in Bagerovo, the Ukrainian authorities simply dismantled and sold for materials. Donuzlav, where the Be-12 flying boats were previously based, has long been abandoned. The same fate befell Oktyabrskoe and Veseloe, where the Tu-22M3 naval missile-carrying aircraft were located.
Currently, these military infrastructure facilities have not yet been restored. If they are put into operation at airfields, it will be possible to place Tu-22M3 bombers and MiG-31BM interceptors equipped with the same “Daggers”. Obviously, this will sharply increase the combat capabilities of the “aircraft carrier” Crimea.
Defense
The sky above the peninsula is covered by the 31st Air Defense Division, stationed in Sevastopol and Feodosia. It is armed with S-400 and ZRPK Pantsir-C1 complexes.
Crimea is a very good platform for hosting the missile attack warning system station. One of them, such as the Dnieper, has been located in Khersones since the Soviet era, but fell into decline under Ukraine. Given the US withdrawal from the INF Treaty, it is necessary to replace it as soon as possible with the modern radar SPRN Voronezh-SM.
Fleet
Crimean bays are extremely convenient for parking, it is not without reason that Sevastopol Bay is one of the three best in the world. It is she who is the main base of the Black Sea Fleet of Russia. After the reunification of the peninsula with our country, the possibilities of the Navy have grown significantly, but the Turkish fleet, our main adversary from NATO on the Black Sea, is still outnumbering it.
However, Russian frigates, small missile ships and submarines are equipped with Caliber-NK / PL cruise missiles, which are capable of hitting targets not only in Turkey, but also, for example, Germany or France, which are NATO members. When the Caliber-M enters the arsenal, their range will already be 4500 kilometers. In a couple of years, the Black Sea Fleet will be amplified by additional patrol and small missile ships capable of carrying such cruise missiles.
Ground forces
The security of Crimea on earth is ensured by the 22nd Army Corps, created by combining the land and coastal forces of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. According to some estimates, its number can reach 25 thousand people. This group is able to not only protect the peninsula from potential Ukrainian invasion, but also, if necessary, participate in a “campaign to Kiev”.
In general, over the past five years, Crimea has seriously strengthened militarily, but there is still a lot of work ahead.
Information