Navy explains importance of Kinburn Spit for Ukraine: Russian shelling, unblocking of shipping

The temporarily occupied Kinburn Spit is important for Ukraine, as the Russians are shelling Mykolaiv Oblast and Kherson Oblast from it, and can also strike ships that could potentially enter Mykolaiv's seaports. In addition, there is a mine threat, said the spokesman of the Naval Forces, Dmytro Pletenchuk, on the air of the national telethon program.

The Russians continue to shell the southern areas of the Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts from the occupied Kinburn spit, and periodically receive a response, he noted.

Also, from this spit, the enemy can fire at ships that could potentially go into the water area of the Dnipro-Buzkyi Lyman – that is, go to the seaports of Mykolaiv, noted Pletenchuk. These ports are currently blocked.

In addition, the water area near the Kinburn Spit should be examined for mine safety – it is there that the Dnipro flows into the Black Sea, and after the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant by the Russians, "quite a lot of explosive objects" could get into these waters, the spokesman explained.

"If a vessel was washed up there, what can we say about the mines? Therefore, yes, this water area is important for us, and, unfortunately, as of now, it is being fired upon [by the Russians] from the Kinburn spit... As it [is also important] for the Russians, of course," Pletenchuk concluded.

On August 9, Defense Intelligence special forces raided the occupied Kinburn spit in Mykolaiv Oblast. DIU reported the destruction of six units of armored vehicles of the Russian Federation and the elimination of about 30 enemy soldiers.

Later, a video emerged of how in early August the Tsyklon group of the DIU legion struck the Russian military on the Kinburn spit: scouts hit equipment, observation points, and personnel from drones. The exact date of this is not known.

Earlier, on August 6, the special forces of the Artan active operations unit and the Maritime Center of the Ukrainian Armed Forces conducted an operation on the Tendra spit in the temporarily occupied part of Kherson Oblast.