The British Intelligence Service highlighted that Moscow “uses a series of passive defenses” that are added to other active systems

MADRID, September 1 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The British Intelligence Service indicated this Friday that Russian forces had created an “underwater barrier of sunken ships” to try to counter attacks by drones by Ukraine on the Crimean bridgehead.

“On August 29, images confirmed that Russia had created an underwater barrier for sunken ships and a floating barrier to prevent drone attacks on the Crimean bridgehead,” they said.

Therefore, they explained that “on the southern part of the bridge, there are several ships 160 meters away”, before adding that “they are at the same point as the attack carried out on July 17, 2023 with the ‘Sea Baby’ ship.'” .

In this regard, they have pointed out that “earlier, in September 2022, the Russian Navy briefly deployed radar decoys on barges for several days, possibly to deter radar-guided missiles,” according to a statement published by the British Ministry of Defense to through his account on the social network X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Other response measures to protect the bridge include the use of smoke generators on TDA-3 trucks, with the exercise taking place on May 24, 2023. These smoke generators were activated to prevent potential air threats on August 12, 2023,” they have emphasized.

British intelligence has emphasized that “the Kerch Strait is an obstacle to military logistical support for Russian forces in the occupied territories of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces” and added that “Russia relies mostly on the Crimean Bridge and ferries to cross it.

Therefore, they reiterated that “Russia uses a range of passive defenses,” in addition to “active defenses such as air defense systems,” to “strengthen defensive capabilities at sea crossings and minimize damage from future attacks.”

“The importance of the bridge (Crimea) both logistically and in its symbolic role to the Russian occupation – linking the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014 with the Krasnodar region of Russia – lies behind this extensive protective measure”, it was stated.

Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Oleksi Reznikov, defended in late July that the Kerch bridge, as well as other Russian military installations on the Crimean peninsula, were “official objectives”. “All of these targets are official targets because they will reduce their ability to fight us, and will help save the lives of Ukrainian citizens,” he added.