Ukrainian "Seals" are waging a secret war against the Russian military, inflicting imperceptible but devastating blows on them in the Black Sea. As The Times reports, trained by special forces of the United Kingdom and the United States, Ukrainian fighters perform strategically important missions, scouting and attacking enemy positions deep in the rear.
One dark night, four Ukrainian divers went on a mission. Silently plunging into the waves, they headed for the Russian-controlled coast. Equipped with special equipment—non-traceable rebreathers—and using only a compass, watch, and arithmetic, they stealthily approached the shoreline to complete the mission.
This team belongs to the 73rd Special Operations Center of the Ukrainian Navy, which conducts dangerous operations against Russian forces at sea. Their job is covert missions that include reconnaissance, minesweeping, coastal landings and destruction of enemy equipment. As the commander of one of the units, known under the pseudonym "Alex", told, their actions are always carefully planned, anticipating all possible options for the development of events.
“The element of surprise is the key to success,” notes Alex. The Russians do not expect such deep attacks in their rear, therefore, taken by surprise, they often do not understand that they have been attacked by Ukrainian special forces.
Thus, during one of the missions, when the "seals" were supposed to attack the Russian coastal defenses, two divers could not arrive due to technical problems. However, the other pair continued the mission. They successfully planted explosives on the road used by the Russians to transport troops. When the enemy's armored vehicle fell into the trap, the explosion destroyed it along with the crew. The Russians were stunned, thinking they had hit their own landmines.
"We listened to their radio intercepts - they blamed each other for not warning about the mines. It was just wonderful," says "Alex".
Ukraine is gradually establishing control in the Black Sea, in particular after the liberation of Zmiiny Island in June 2022 and the seizure of oil platforms in September of the same year. Now the fight is on for control over the Kinburn and Tendra spits, which are strategic for unblocking the port of Mykolaiv.
Units of the 73rd Center play an important role in this war, attacking the enemy from underwater and from the air. Using drones and missiles, Ukraine has already destroyed 26 ships of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, and divers continue to deliver pinpoint strikes on enemy positions.
Commander Judy, one of the few women in the special forces who has completed a NATO course, also talks about the heavy losses among her own. "We are like one family, so losses are especially painful," she notes.
