Ukrainian patriots from occupied Crimea handed over fresh photos of a military storage base near Kaczynski canyon (Bakhchysarai Raion) to the international community InformNapalm. The images show a large amount of all sorts of weapons and military equipment.

After analysis of the photographs, the OSINT-InformNapalm group concluded that this equipment belongs to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and it was left in the peninsula after its treacherous capture by Russians in March 2014.

Because of the long distance to the facility and equipment, we were unable to recognize all the types of weapons on this base, but we did identify most of them.

SLIDE 1

• About 30 vehicles of the Buk anti-aircraft missile system;
• 6 Tunguska armored anti-aircraft gun-missile complexes (or Shilka anti-aircraft self-propelled weapon systems);
• 15 MSTA-B towed howitzers;
• More than 20 unidentified vehicles, presumably armored vehicles and trucks.

SLIDE 2

• 8 PTS-2 amphibious carriers;
• 7 armored vehicles (presumably MT-LB or BRDM), several trucks and 40 containers (presumably with missiles for the Buk air defense missile systems);
• 20 MSTA-B towed howitzers;
• 10 unidentified vehicles, as well as several trucks and special vehicles;
• 8 MLRS Grad, 2 GAZ-66 trucks and 4 trucks with KUNG (standardized military vehicle trailer systems).

The painting/camouflage pattern and bad shape of identified items and other evidence suggest that this is former Ukrainian equipment, captured by the occupiers in Crimea and then brought to the storage base. In total, we recorded a sufficient amount of weaponry to equip one anti-aircraft missile battalion and one artillery battalion (although it is difficult to evaluate the condition of the vehicles and weapons, as well as their usability). We aren’t even considering what could be stored in closed warehouses and hangars of the base – most likely, they may contain the ammunition for air defense systems, missile and artillery shells for howitzers and MLRS.

Also we estimated the time period when these weapons and equipment were brought to the storage base at the canyon. Looking at Google satellite maps, one can see that the last image of the area (July 20, 2015) shows no such equipment and weapons in this area (it is unlikely it was stored indoors in such quantity and condition).

Looking at satellite imagery TerraServer with the latest update for this area on April 24, 2016, we can see the same accumulation of weapons and equipment as in the photo from Crimea taken in September 2016.

The outdated and partially worn Ukrainian weapons in Crimea are a burden for Russia, but certainly, it will not be returned back to Ukraine. Most likely, occupying authorities plan to test the suitability of all this equipment and weapons, perhaps, provide minor repairs, and transfer it to the military corps of the DPR/LPR in Donbas.

Possibly, this equipment will be presented as trophies captured from the Ukrainian Army in the east of Ukraine, as Russia has done already many times. Recall that in the summer of 2014 activists of InformNapalm wrote about the transfer of captured in Crimea Ukrainian T-64BV tanks to Donbas. The representatives of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the group Information Resistance also reported about it later.

Material for publication has been prepared on the basis of its own OSINT-investigations by the volunteers of InformNapalm international community.

Material is prepared for publication by Irakli Komaxidze. Mikhail Kuznetsov and Vidal Sorokin

Translated by Andrii Gryganskyi.

Edited by Svitlana Kemblowski

(CC BY) Information specially prepared for InformNapalm.org site, an active link to the authors and our project is obligatory for any reprint or further use of the material.

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