Russia is rapidly building up its military presence in the temporarily occupied Crimean peninsula, according to Ukrainian intelligence sources, as fears grow within the Kremlin over a possible Ukrainian attempt to liberate the territory. In comments to Krym Reali, Andrey Chernyak, representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defence Ministry, confirmed that Russian occupation forces are increasing both personnel and military equipment in the region.
Chernyak explained that Russia’s aim is to guarantee control over Crimea and block any future Ukrainian advances. As part of this plan, the Kremlin is funnelling more troops and heavy weaponry into the area. Despite this, Ukrainian officials are clear that Crimea will never be recognised as Russian territory, either politically or diplomatically.
Taras Zagorodniy, a Ukrainian political and economic expert, reinforced this point. He stated bluntly that no Ukrainian official would ever agree to the recognition of Crimea as part of Russia, calling such an act political suicide. He added that even if the United States were to hypothetically accept the illegal annexation, it would do nothing but damage its own credibility.
Zagorodniy also highlighted Russia’s growing economic fragility. A drop in global oil prices, combined with renewed sanctions against its allies such as Iran and China, is putting immense pressure on Russia’s economy. He noted that China’s devaluation of the yuan is shrinking the value of Russia’s reserves, which are already under strain. Should Russia be forced to devalue the ruble, it could lose up to 20 percent of its oil revenues — a potentially devastating blow.
He also suggested that even traditional US allies in Europe are distancing themselves from Washington by purchasing European-made weapons over American ones. Portugal, for example, recently opted to buy Swedish Gripen jets rather than US F-35s. This, he argues, demonstrates that the US is losing influence — not just politically, but economically — while still failing to stop Russia’s military aggression.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Kremlin’s decision to turn Crimea into a military fortress shows their growing fear that Ukraine is preparing to retake the peninsula. For Russia, the prospect of losing Crimea, which it illegally annexed in 2014, would represent a massive political and symbolic defeat. For Ukraine, reclaiming Crimea remains a non-negotiable objective.
