Putin sent revenge squads to Crimea for the destruction of a warship

The Russian President is allegedly dissatisfied with the air defense forces stationed on the Black Sea Peninsula. Photo: Alexey Nikolsky/AP

Vladimir Putin allegedly sent revenge squads to occupied Crimea to hunt down resistance fighters who may have told Ukraine the location of the now-destroyed warship Novocherkassk.

“The flywheel of repression is turning “says Ates, a professional. — This was reported by the Kiev Crimean Tatar rebel group.

It reported that Moscow-appointed authorities raided properties and confiscated smartphones of residents in search of possible helpers of the Ukrainian military in a recent missile attack on a ship.

“Putin is reported to be completely furious over the destruction of the large landing ship Novocherkassk,” Atesh said.

“The order has been given to punish the Crimean air defense forces. It is expected that many commanders will be removed and sent to the front to participate in assault groups,” the partisans added in a message on the Telegram messenger.

Novocherkassk was destroyed by a British-made Storm Shadow cruise missile fired from a Ukrainian supersonic fighter Su -24 early Tuesday morning.

Russian forces managed to recapture part of the territory between Robotin and Verbov, which Ukraine liberated during the summer counter-offensive.

It is considered likely that Ukrainian troops withdrew to more fortified positions near Robotin in preparation to the coming winter months.

“Recent Russian offensives in the western part of the Zaporozhye region, however, confirm the ISW assessment that the current trench warfare in Ukraine is not a stable stalemate, as the current decisions taken at The West or Russia could tip the balance either way, and Russia's limited gains could become significant, especially if the West ends military aid to Ukraine,” ISW writes.