Putin dealt blow as Russian defence positions 'washed away' by devastating storm

Huge waves hitting the Crimean coastline

Russian defence positions have been destroyed by a devastating storm that hit Crimea on Sunday, it has been claimed.

Citing local sources, advisor to the Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Anton Gerashchenko said metres-high waves washed away defence lines that had been dug out by Russians on some beaches to fend off Ukrainian attacks on the occupied peninsula.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, he wrote: “A storm washed away trenches in occupied Crimea that Russian army dug out on the beaches.”

Referring to a Ukrainian city in Western Crimea, he continued: “According to information from Crimean media, in Yevpatoria the water washed away the defence line on the coast, engineering buildings and firing positions.

“The speed of wind at the coasts of occupied Crimea reaches 115-130 kilometres per hour, the waves are eight-nine metres tall. In Crimean mountains, the wind is up to 150 kilometres per hour.”

A destroyed lane of Kerch Bridge

Crimea, occupied and illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, was hit by a storm dubbed Bettina by Greek meteorologists.

The violent storm ripped out trees and tore off roofs as well as flooding several homes, particularly in western Crimea.

The embankment in the village of Malorechenskoye, near Yalta, was destroyed by the waves, and damages were recorded also in Alushta, southern Crimea.

Around half a million people in the peninsula were also left without electricity for several hours as a result of the devastating weather.

Videos circulating online show huge waves crashing against the coastline and homes filled with muddy waters.

The storm, which later on Sunday travelled further east to reach the internationally recognised Russian territory, may be good news for Ukraine, which has been conducting several attacks on the peninsula in recent months.

In July, a blast destroyed one of the lanes on Kerch Bridge wanted by Vladimir Putin to connect the peninsula to mainland Russia.

In August, as well as later on in the midst of the Ukrainian counter-offensive, Kyiv’s troops carried out lethal raids on the Crimean coast.

Over the past months, Ukraine also launched several successful drone attacks – most notably in September, when it dealt a major blow to Putin by hitting the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol.

The Black Sea Fleet itself was harmed over the months by seaborne and airborne Ukrainian drones, and forced Russia to retreat most of its fleet from Crimea.

Ukraine has openly acknowledged how important it is for the outcome of the war to deal successful blows to Russia in Crimea, as the peninsula is a key military logistics centre feeding troops and resources to the frontlines.