Beginning in February 2022, the Battle of Crimea has consisted of a series of maritime and overland assaults and counter-assaults as part of Russo-Ukrainian war. Occupied by Russia since 2014, Crimea was a base for the subsequent Russian occupation of Kherson Oblast and Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia Oblast on February 24, 2022, the commencement of major hostilies between the two countries.
Vladimir Putin has called Crimea a "sacred place" and a "holy land". Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev said in July 2022 that the consequence of an attack on Crimea will be that, "the Day of Judgment will come for all of them there at once. Very fast and heavy. It will be very difficult to hide".
Along with the major ground invasions of southern Ukraine, the battle has included a series of Russian attacks on infrastructure throughout the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula and Ukrainian reprisals. Many of these have gained international attention, including the Ukrainian sinking of the Russian flagship and repeated drone assaults on area bridges and other critical infrastructure.
2022 Russian escalation
On 24 February 2022, Russian forces invaded Ukraine from Crimea. What had been expected to be a quick seizure of the country rapidly turned into a war of attrition and Russia only succeeded in taking parts of the Kherson Oblast and Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Since then, the basic countours of the battle have included tit-for-tat drone attacks, ongoing naval warfare in the Black Sea, and internecine conflict amongst civilians.
The area was administered under a Russian-controlled military-civilian administration until 30 September 2022, when the Russian government declared it had annexed the territory (an annexation widely regarded as illegal and unrecognized internationally). Since then Russia administers it as an internationally unrecognized federal subject of Russia, although day-to-day control over critical infrastructure shifts rapidly.
Weaponry
GLSDB
On 3 February 2023, the United States government announced an aid package for Ukraine that would include the Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), which can be launched out of existing Ukraine-operated HIMARS or MLRS launchers (or out of its own launcher) to hit Russian targets that had been moved out of GMLRS range. The GLSDB almost doubles the range that Ukraine could previously target with these launchers (150 km (93 mi) vs 85 km (53 mi) with GMLRS). This "will put all of Russia's supply lines in the east of [Ukraine] within reach, as well as part of Russian-occupied Crimea", according to Reuters. "Russia is using Crimea as a big military base from which it sends reinforcements for its troops on the southern front," said Ukrainian military analyst Oleksandr Musiyenko. "If we had a 150km (munition), we could reach that and disrupt the logistical connection with Crimea." It has been speculated that the GLSDB might allow Ukraine to target the Dzhankoi airfield in northern Crimea, described as the logistics hub of the Russian army. Dzhankoi is a critical rail and road hub in the supply network Russia has been using in its attack on Ukraine and, along with its surrounding areas, has been described as the largest Russian military base in Crimea. Ukraine holds the territory across the Dnieper River from Nova Kakhovka (close to where the North Crimean Canal begins). The distance between Nova Kakhovka and Dzhankoi is 141 km (88 mi). It has also been estimated that if Ukraine were able to advance to Prymorsk on their southern coast, this would put the Crimean Bridge over the Kerch Strait within range of the GLSDB. This bridge constitutes the main supply route for Russian military bases in Crimea and for Russian forces in southern Ukraine.
Storm Shadow Missiles
On 11 May 2023 it was announced that the U.K. was sending "a number" of Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles to Ukraine. This weapon has an official range "exceeding" 250 km (160 mi). While this falls short of the 300 km (190 mi) range of the U.S. made ATACMS, it would allow a Storm Shadow missile fired by Ukraine from an aircraft flying above the city of Kherson to reach Russia's Sevastopol Naval Base in southern Crimea, home of Russia's Black Sea Fleet (distance 245 km (152 mi)).
Targets of attack
Landings
On 24 August 2023, the 32nd anniversary of Ukraine's Independence Day, the HUR announced that Air Force and Navy intelligence were involved in a special operation near the towns of Mayak and Olenivka on the Tarkhankut Peninsula, which saw a seaborne landing and airborne deployment of Ukrainian personnel on Crimea. The HUR announced that all objectives of the operation were completed, Russian forces suffered casualties, and that the Ukrainian state flag was once again flown over the Crimean peninsula.
Crimean Bridge
On 1 October, there were explosions at the Belbek military airport near Sevastopol, the air defense system allegedly shot down a drone in the area. On 8 October at around 6:00 am, an explosion occurred on the Crimean bridge. It caused two lanes of the roadway to collapse and tanks on a train on the rail bridge to catch fire. Later in the day a single lane for motor vehicles was opened with alternating directions and a ferry provided for heavy goods vehicles. Rail traffic also recommenced. The attack on the bridge was claimed by Putin to be the reason for the October 2022 missile strikes on Ukraine. On 27 October, a power plant in Balaklava, Sevastopol region, reportedly attacked, causing minor damage, no casualties were reported.
On 17 July 2023, the Crimean Bridge linking Crimea with mainland Russia was again attacked, this time by two exploding drone boats. At least one of the road sections collapsed. Two people were reportedly killed. Ukraine later acknowledged it carried out the attack.
On 3 June 2025, the Crimean Bridge was temporarily closed and subsequently reopened by Russian authorities after several underwater C-4 explosives planted under the bridge detonated. The Security Service of Ukraine claimed responsibility, saying its agents planted 1,100 kg (1.1 t) of TNT equivalent at a support section of the bridge.
Port of Sevastopol
On the morning of 31 July 2022, a drone with an explosive device attacked the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol. Six people were injured. Due to the attack on the city, all festivities on the occasion of the Navy Day were cancelled. Ukrainian officials denied involvement in the attack, but pointed out the weakness of Russia's air defense system in Crimea.
On the morning of 21 August, explosions were heard in Sevastopol, Crimean authorities claimed that it was the work of air defense. On the next day, explosions rang out again in the city, the occupation authorities announced that a drone had been shot down. On 23 August, several explosions were heard, the anti-aircraft missile system also went off near the city, the governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said that a drone was shot down over the sea. On 26 August, the anti-aircraft defense system was activated in the village Novoozerne near Yevpatoria.
On 21 September, a maritime drone was discovered on Soldatsky Beach in Kozacha Bay, Sevastopol. It was examined, then towed out to sea and blown up.
On 29 October, the Russian-occupied Sevastopol Naval Base was attacked by unmanned surface vehicles and aerial drones. According to the Russian TASS, at 4:20 am on 29 October, a strong explosion sounded, after which several more "claps" were heard. Videos began to circulate in Telegram channels showing black smoke over Sevastopol and explosions could be heard. Nine UAVs and seven USVs took part in the attack, according to Russian officials. GeoConfirmed analysts believe that between six and eight drones participated in the attack on Russian ships and that they hit at least three ships; two naval drones were most likely destroyed. One of the ships that appeared to be damaged in videos was the Admiral Makarov, Russia's Black Sea Fleet new flagship, following the sinking of the Moskva.
Following the attacks the Russian authorities shut down broadcast from the city's surveillance cameras, saying that they "give the enemy an opportunity to detect the city's defense systems", and prohibited entry of boats into the Sevastopol Bay. Russia accused Ukraine and the United Kingdom of being involved in the preparation of the attacks, with Russian representatives saying that the attack was "carried out under the leadership of British specialists who are in the city of Ochakiv (Mykolaiv region) of Ukraine", Russian authorities also claimed that the same unit of "British specialists" was involved in the "terrorist act in the Baltic Sea", when the gas pipelines "Nord Stream" and "Nord Stream – 2" were blown up. The UK Ministry of Defence responded, saying Russia was "peddling lies on an epic scale". After the attack, Russia suspended its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative for four days. Grain ships continued to sail from Ukraine despite the Russian announcement. Before these events, Ukraine had warned about possible Russian plans to withdraw from the agreement.
On 22 November, several explosions were reported on Sevastopol, witnesses reported that anti-air systems activated, maritime traffic had to be stopped as a result. local officials later reported that two drones had been destroyed during the alleged attack, and that another attack had been repelled over the Black Sea, no casualties or significant damage were reported.
On 10 December, explosions were reported in Sevastopol, and anti-air systems reportedly activated. On 30 December, explosions were reported yet again in Sevastopol, anti-air systems and Russian planes reportedly intercepted a rocket over the sea.
On 2 January 2023, explosions were reported in Sevastopol, anti-air systems activated and two drone were reportedly destroyed over the sea, according to Russian authorities. On 15 January, more explosions were reported in Sevastopol, anti-air systems activated and allegedly destroyed one drone above the Sevastopol Bay, according to local authorities.
On 22 March, explosions were reported overnight in Sevastopol Bay, electricity allegedly went down as a result of these explosions, civilians reported hearing several "shots" and explosions over the bay during the night and morning, it was alleged that these loud sounds were the result of a drone attack, local telegram channels reported possible attack by UAVs and USVs, with one UAV allegedly downed; maritime traffic was interrupted after the alleged attack.
On 25 August, the Ukrainian military and the SBU launched a joint drone strike on the 126th Coastal Defence Brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Perevalne, reportedly inflicting "dozens" of casualties.
On 13 September, a Ukrainian strike on Russia's Sevastopol Naval Base damaged two Russian warships. According to a number of sources, the strike was carried out using Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which are designed to penetrate deeply into their targets and inflict maximum damage in a two-phase process. Experts have concluded from photographs that the Minsk, a large Ropucha-class landing ship, was damaged beyond repair. Also damaged was the Rostov-on-Don, a $300M Kilo-class submarine.
On 22 September, Ukraine launched a missile strike on the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet at Sevastopol Naval Base. The building was reportedly struck by Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Ukraine's intelligence agencies reported that the strike, which it codenamed "Operation Crab Trap", killed 34 officers and wounded at least 100 other Russian servicemen. Three days later, Russian authorities announced that they would demolish the damaged headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet.
On 29 December, a Russian Tarantul-class corvette was struck by a Ukrainian drone whilst in harbour at Sevastopol. On 20 January 2024, satellite images confirmed its sinking.
On 23 March 2024, the Ukrainian military launched a "massive" missile attack on Sevastopol Naval Base. A Black Sea Fleet communications center was struck by three Storm Shadow missiles. Ukraine's military said the strikes damaged three Russian landing ships: the Yamal, the Azov, and the Konstantin Olshansky. The spy ship Ivan Khurs was also reportedly damaged.
On 23 June, Ukraine launched an ATACMS missile bombardment towards Sevastopol. Missile fragments hit a beach, killing four people and injuring 151 others. Russia held the United States responsible and vowed that there will be a response.
On 20 February 2026, one person was killed and several buildings were damaged by Ukrainian drone strikes in Sevastopol, Crimea.