Ukraine says Black Sea gas, oil platforms recaptured from Russian control

Sept 12,2023: The Ukrainian military said it has recaptured several strategic gas and oil drilling platforms from Russia in the Black Sea close to Crimea, which Moscow’s forces had occupied since 2015.
The recapture of the so-called Boyko Towers platforms, which was reported on Monday, takes back an asset that Russia seized during the annexation of Crimea and places Kyiv closer to retaking the occupied peninsula, according to Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR).
The GUR said on the Telegram messaging app that Ukrainian forces had retaken the drilling platforms in a “unique operation”.
“For Ukraine, regaining control of the Boyko Towers was of strategic importance and, as a result, Russia lost the ability to use them for military purposes,” the GUR said on Telegram.
“Russia has been deprived of the ability to fully control the waters of the Black Sea, and this makes Ukraine many steps closer to regaining Crimea,” the agency added.
During the operation, there was a clash between Ukrainian special forces on boats and a Russian fighter jet, which was damaged and forced to retreat, the GUR said, adding that “valuable trophies” such as helicopter munitions and a radar system that can track the movement of ships in the Black Sea were seized at the platforms.
The Russian defence ministry did not make any immediate comment on the Ukrainian claim, but the ministry has previously reported that Russian warplanes destroyed several Ukrainian speedboats in the area in recent days.
Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, said early on Tuesday that regaining control of the Boyko Towers was important as the structures were used by Russian forces for “all sorts of monitoring, control, and surveillance sensors, expanding the Russian operational capabilities” in the Black Sea.