Kyiv claims Russian forces abandon strategic Kinburn Spit after drone campaign

Ukrainian partisan group Atesh reported on June 8 that Russian forces have abandoned the Kinburn Spit, a strategic land strip northwest of Crimea. The reported withdrawal follows the disruption of supply lines for ammunition, fuel, and food by Ukrainian drone strikes, leading to the redeployment of most troops from Russia’s 337th VDV Regiment. Russia has not confirmed the loss of the 10-kilometre-long sandbar.

The report was cited by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and Ukrainian media outlets. Experts suggest the strategic importance of the spit has decreased as Russia dropped plans to take Odesa and the war’s focal point shifted to the Donbas and Zaporizhzhia regions. A withdrawal would remove a major obstacle for Ukrainian exports from Mykolaiv and Ochakiv.

It would hold significant symbolic value, potentially allowing Kyiv to claim the full liberation of Mykolaiv Oblast. The incident underscores the vulnerability of Russian supply lines to drone warfare, with experts noting it may now cost more to defend the spit than to abandon it. If Ukrainian forces move in, they will need to clear mines and establish air defence systems.

At the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russia captured the spit, viewing it as a springboard for attacks on Odesa and control over access to Kherson. Ukraine recaptured the city of Kherson at the end of 2022, but Russia retained control of the spit. Ukraine has previously asked the United States to include the spit in any future peace plan.

The war context includes ongoing difficult situations for Ukraine in the Donbas and Kharkiv regions, alongside recent Ukrainian drone attacks on infrastructure in Crimea. The reported loss of the spit removes a major obstacle for Ukrainian exports from Mykolaiv and Ochakiv, holds significant symbolic value for Kyiv’s claim to fully liberate Mykolaiv Oblast, and underscores the vulnerability of Russian supply lines to drone warfare.