Ukraine returned to its control “Boyko Towers”

Author:
Liza Brovko
Date:

The Main Directorate of Intelligence (MDI) reports that Ukraine has regained control over the so-called Boyko towers — oil and gas drilling platforms near Crimea in the Black Sea.

They were occupied by Russia in 2015, and after a full-scale invasion, they were used for military purposes, for example, as helipads. It also placed radar stations there.

The operation to regain control over the "towers" was carried out by units of the Ministry of Defenseʼs MDI. They established control over the drilling platforms "Petro Hodovalets" and "Ukraine", as well as SEDR "Tavrida" and "Sivash".

During the operation, the special forces seized the trophies: a stockpile of helicopter ammunition of the NAR type (unguided aerial missiles) and the Neva radar station, which can track the movement of ships in the Black Sea.

The operation most likely took place in August, as MDI reported an episode that occurred during the operation. At one of the exits, fighters on motor boats had to engage in battle with a Su-30 fighter. He managed to shoot it down with MANPADS. That fight was caught on video.

The episode involved a fighter called "Conan" who fell overboard while his boat was maneuvering. Bayraktar TB2 and an additional squad were sent to search. The drone found the military in a few hours, and the boat with its help had to fight its way through the dense fire of Russian fighters. In the end Conan was taken without loss. He spent 12 hours in the water.

  • On July 2, 2022, satellite images appeared showing burning drilling platforms in the Black Sea that were allegedly struck by the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
  • On June 20, 2022, the "head" of the occupied Crimea Sergei Aksyonov said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had struck the drilling platforms of Chornomornaftogaz in the Black Sea. Ukraine did not comment on these accusations. The next day it became known that the occupiers could not save all the people who suffered from the attack. It is known that a total of 109 people were on the drilling platforms during the strike, seven went missing, three received burns and shrapnel injuries, and 94 people were able to evacuate.
  • These platforms are called "Boikʼs towers". In 2011, investigative journalists from the "Our Money" project exposed a corruption scam with the purchase of two oil drilling platforms, which were bought by the state-owned Chornomornaftogaz company through offshore laying companies, paying approximately $400 million for each. This scheme became known in Ukraine as "Boykoʼs towers", since Yuriy Boyko was then the head of the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine.