Following strike on Russia’s warship in Feodosia, Russia not to be able to use Crimea ports - Estonian intelligence

This was stated by the head of the intelligence agency of the Estonian Defense Forces Ants Kiviselg, Ukrinform reports with reference to ERаR.

Kiviselg noted that there have been no significant changes on the battlefield in recent weeks.

“Russia has continued to try to pressure the Ukrainian side, and perhaps the most visible event on land has been the capture of the city of Marinka, Donetsk oblast, late last week, where the Ukrainians have withdrawn their units from. In other respects, there have been no major changes to the frontline,” he said.

Read also: Two Russian navy vessels leave Feodosia bay after Ukraine hits Novocherkassk landing ship

According to him, on the night of December 26, the Armed Forces attacked the Russian ship "Novocherkask" in the port of temporarily occupied Feodosia, which probably had ammunition and drones on it. Kiviselg reminded that the Ukrainian army had previously carried out successful attacks in Crimea.

"It is clear that such an attack requires very good planning, an understanding of where the Russian Federation's air defenses are," he added. "It requires good preliminary work and the coincidence of several situations."

The head of the intelligence said that the attack on "Novocherkassk" will force the Russian army to move its naval vessels away from Crimea.

Read also: British intelligence foresees implications of Ukrainian strike on Novocherkassk vessel

"Furthermore they cannot make use of their ports in Crimea, which are suitable and efficient harbors in terms of their reception capacity, and they work quickly. But now the units need to be moved further, for example to the port of Novorossiya, within the Russian Federation itself, rather than the occupied territories," Kiviselg went on.

As reported, on the night of December 26, the Ukrainian strike blew up a large landing ship Novocherkassk in occupied Feodosia.