Ukraine's navy strikes Bastion launchers in Crimea that fired Onyx and Zircon missiles

On the night of August 16, the Ukrainian Navy struck the launch positions and deployment site of a Bastion coastal missile system in temporarily occupied Crimea. The attack was confirmed by the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"As a result of the strike, the enemy suffered significant losses in weapons and personnel. The final losses of the enemy are being clarified," the Navy said in a statement.

The Bastion is described by Ukrainian officials as scarce and expensive equipment. Russia has been using these systems to shell southern and other regions of Ukraine with supersonic Onyx missiles and hypersonic Zircon missiles. Both missile types are difficult to intercept with existing air defense systems, making the launchers a priority target for the Ukrainian military.

This was not the first strike on Bastion systems in Crimea. Back on March 24, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported attacks on a number of important Russian military facilities, including a Bastion launcher unit.

The successful strike on the Bastion positions weakens Russia's ability to conduct missile attacks on Ukrainian territory. The Ukrainian Navy did not specify which weapons were used in the attack or the exact extent of the damage inflicted on the Russian forces.

The Bastion coastal defense system is designed to destroy surface ships and can also be used against ground targets. Each system typically carries missiles that can be launched from concealed positions, making them difficult to detect and destroy. However, the Ukrainian military has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to locate and hit such high-value assets in Crimea.

The attack comes amid ongoing Ukrainian efforts to degrade Russian military capabilities in the peninsula and reduce the threat of missile strikes on civilian infrastructure. Russia has not officially commented on the reported strike as of the time of publication.