Chaplynka 2.0
New heliport construction in Berdyansk highlights the urgent need for Ukraine to acquire longer-range strike capabilities to counter Russian invasion.
Following Russia's withdrawal from the right bank of the Dnieper River, Ukrainian forces were able to target previously unreachable areas of the Kherson Oblast. Among these areas was the Chaplynka heliport, an important Russian military stronghold in Ukraine, although by the time the base came within range, Russian forces had obviously already evacuated the area.
A month later, construction of a new heliport on the existing Berdyansk airfield began, with indications that it would be built on a similar scale to the Chaplynka base.
With a distance of more than 85 km from the front line, the city of Berdyansk is out of reach of Ukrainian HIMARS systems. This along with other factors such as its proximity to the Sea of Azov makes it a perfect location for a new large military base.
Satellite imagery shows that helicopters have already been deployed, trenches are being dug, camouflage tarps are being installed and heavy equipment is building shelters for vehicles. I suspect a pipeline might be under construction that could bring fuel to the helicopters in the future.
The construction of this new heliport in Berdyansk highlights the urgent need for Ukraine to acquire longer-range strike capabilities. Currently, Russia has the ability to establish large military bases within Ukraine's borders, from which it can launch attacks with little or no repercussions. By possessing longer-range weapons, Ukraine would be able to deter the establishment of bases such as this one, thus significantly weakening Russian capabilities.
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