How will Ukraine retaking Crimea devastate Russia?

Russia and Ukraine's conflict goes back decades before February 24, 2022. Russian aggressiveness has remained consistent since Vladimir Putin took office in the late 1990s. The current war, however, began with the unlawful annexation of Crimea in 2014. The insane aspect is that NATO and the rest of the world sat back and watched as Russian soldiers seized Crimea in a manner remarkably similar to how Nazi Germany grabbed Austria, Czechoslovakia, and the Rhineland before launching its assault of Poland and beginning World War II. 💣⚒⚙

• Long before February 24, 2022, a conflict between Russia and Ukraine erupted. Since Vladimir Putin came to power in the late 1990s, there has been constant Russian aggression. But what actually sparked the current conflict was the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. The insane thing is that NATO and the rest of the world stood by as Russian forces invaded Crimea in a manner uncannily reminiscent of how Nazi Germany occupied Austria, Czechoslovakia, and the Rhineland before launching its invasion of Poland and sparking World War II. The Ukrainian government had anticipated that Russia would invade the rest of the nation in 2022. There is no denying that Putin is to blame for the conflict in Ukraine, but NATO and other nations are also somewhat complicit in the conflict now because they showed no remorse for the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014.
• Ukraine and its people have resisted and battled valiantly. There is no doubt that Russia is losing the war, and if NATO provides Ukraine with the assistance it needs, they will be able to push Russia outside of their borders. There is no doubt that Ukraine includes Crimea, and the government has made it clear that until all of its territories are returned, there will be no ceasefire or negotiations. Putin's issue is that allowing Crimea to reintegrate into Ukraine would result in not only his demise but also the dissolution of Russia if he allowed it to do so. Putin needs Crimea more than ever if he wants to survive the war and retain power in Russia. Russia needs Crimea for many reasons, but none more so than now.
• Let's look at the reasons behind Russia's initial desire for the Crimean peninsula, what would happen if it lost the peninsula to Ukraine, and how Ukraine might be able to accomplish this. Crimea's past is convoluted. Since ancient times, people have coveted its location in the Black Sea. The Russian-Turkish War, which lasted from 1768 to 1774, marked the beginning of the series of events that led to where we are today, despite the fact that it has a long history dating back millennia. Crimea declared its independence from Turkey at the end of the war. But in 1783, Russia annexed the area to its territory in order to use its ports and to house the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which is still based in Sevastopol today.
• After this, tragedies inflicted by Russia on Crimea on an irregular basis continued until the present day. Russian railroad construction across the Crimea to Sevastopol was completed as the 19th century came to an end. Russia made significant profits as a result of the easier trade with the European market by exporting basic goods and importing luxury goods for its affluent population. The Russian imperial family made Crimea their summer retreat at this time so that those in positions of authority could take advantage of the area at their leisure. And despite the fact that Russia no longer has a monarchy with a royal family, this period sparked a strong desire among affluent Russians to rule Crimea.
• Early in the 20th century, Europe and the surrounding area, including Crimea, experienced great turmoil. As Hitler's war machine marched across its border in an effort to defeat Russia, civil wars broke out, and Nazi Germany decimated the population and lands of the peninsula. The Crimean peninsula's population was almost cut in half, and its ports were all but destroyed. Crimea became a part of the Soviet Union after the war. The Crimean peninsula experienced an exceptionally difficult year in 1954, and Russia occasionally cites this year as one of the reasons the peninsula is its property. Crimea was transferred from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic as the Communist Party reorganized the borders and lands of the Soviet Union.
• This continued to imply that the Kremlin was in charge of Crimea but that most of the region's administration would be handled by the Ukrainian territory within the Soviet Union. Over the course of the Cold War, Crimea's destroyed infrastructure and industries were rebuilt, and it once again started to play a significant strategic and economic role for Russia. The western territories were granted autonomy from Moscow following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, and as a result, Ukraine became a sovereign state. Furthermore, Crimea was no longer considered to be a part of Russia because Nikita Khrushchev declared it to be a part of Ukraine in the 1950s.
• The newly installed regime found this to be unacceptable, and it wouldn't be long before Russia invaded this relatively small peninsula. Despite the fact that the rest of the world recognized Crimea as being a part of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin annexed the area in 2014. The rest, as they say, is history. Crimea has been a source of conflict and a vitally important territory for Russia since 2014. Since Crimea was forcibly taken over by Putin, the Kremlin has resumed using it as an economic, military, and recreational hub. Vladimir Putin will never voluntarily cede control of the Crimea for a variety of reasons, many of which date back to the Russian Empire, which annexed the area to its borders in the first place.
• Once Putin had control over Crimea, new infrastructure was built to link the peninsula to the Russian mainland, facilitating the movement of supplies, military units, and cargo. Additionally, it provided a superb staging area for Russia's invasion of the remainder of Ukraine, which was presumably already planned back in 2014. Putin might have been testing the waters when he invaded Crimea to see how the world would respond to him illegitimately annexing a portion of his neighbor. He also knew that his invasion of Ukraine would probably be met with the same disregard since there were no consequences for his actions. In addition to being a staging area for troops, Russia uses Crimea as an essential link in its supply chain to make sure that the troops occupying the Donbas region of the country are well-fed and equipped.
• Since a few months ago, this is where Russia has launched attacks deeper into Ukraine, and it is also where troops are now entrenched pending the arrival of reinforcements and equipment. This indicates that Crimea will play a crucial strategic role in Russia's future plans for Ukraine. Russia would lose the ability to quickly transport tanks and weapons to their front lines without control of Crimea. Putin is aware of this, which is why he continues to block any sign of weakness in the region even as Ukrainian forces launch missiles and bomb bridges in Crimea. Russia will lose the war the moment Ukraine retakes Crimea. Putin will suffer severe military and political repercussions as a result, which explains his ferocious desire to retain control of the Crimean Peninsula.
• Crimea serves as Russia's missile launch pad in addition to being a resupply hub. The missiles they've sent to the peninsula are currently protected to some extent and are capable of hitting important targets in Ukraine. The air bases in Crimea also enable Russian aircraft and drones to launch bombing sorties as far away as Kyiv. Due to its occupation of Crimea, Russia is the only country that is able to persistently annoy major Ukrainian cities. However, the port city of Sevastopol, where Russia's Black Sea Fleet is stationed, is where the military significance of Crimea for Russia lies. In order to blockade Ukraine and obstruct supply routes along its coast, Russia has used this fleet of naval vessels.
• Although Ukraine still receives aid through other channels, the country's economy and capacity for imports have been severely damaged by Russia's control of a key port in Crimea, which allowed it to gain access to the Black Sea. Because Sevastopol is one of Russia's few warm-water ports, it can be used all year. This is crucial for trade as well as for the country's military. Black Sea shipping to and from North Africa and the Middle East is made easy by Crimea's strategic location. Furthermore, it enables Russia to transport cargo into and out of the Mediterranean. Russia would be unable to continue to rule the Black Sea without Crimea. Its naval vessels have bombarded both coastal cities and ports.
• Despite sinking the Russian flagship Moskva, Ukraine lacks the naval strength to overcome the blockades. So, while it is obvious that the Crimea is crucial to the Russian military and economy, there is another, crazier justification for Putin's belief that he had the right to annex the peninsula. Vladimir Putin has frequently expressed his desire to restore the Russian Empire's former glory. One of the main causes of his initial desire to seize Crimea was due to this. He was paying homage to Catherine the Great and the Russian Empire of the late 1700s by reintegrating the peninsula within Russian borders. Putin wanted Crimea, of course, for its strategic value, but he also wanted to prove to the Russian people and the rest of the world that he was capable of enlarging Russia's borders and building his own Russian Empire.
• The most bizarre finding was that 86 percent of Russians supported the annexation of Crimea by force, according to independent polls taken in 2018. The support for reintegrating Crimea back into Russia was astounding, which was probably a result of the brainwashing and disinformation campaigns run by the state-controlled media. Due to its stunning coastlines and pleasant climate, Crimea has recently become a well-liked tourist destination after serving for decades as a playground for the Russian elite. These factors undoubtedly had less of an impact on Putin's decision to forcibly annex the territory, but one can't help but wonder if he ever daydreamed of planning the world's takeover while relaxing at a resort in Crimea.
• Putin will also take all possible measures to lessen Western influence close to Russia's borders. The taking of Crimea resulted in a significant disruption of the trade networks between Europe and Ukraine. Putin found a way to stop the west from further invading what he believed to be his sphere of influence by simply incorporating the relatively small piece of land into Russia. Putin did not want goods from Western nations entering the region through Crimea, and by maintaining control of the territory; he made sure to appease Western influence while enhancing his own power in the area. Like many other regions of the world that have been taken over by powerful nations, Crimea is rich in resources that Russia needs.
• Gas and oil resources are particularly abundant in Crimea. However, there is another reason for controlling the peninsula in addition to the fact that both of these are essential to maintaining the Russian economy. Following the annexation of Crimea, Putin had control over the flow of natural gas and oil from the area. This meant that the European countries that had previously purchased some of their energy resources from Ukraine, and specifically Crimea, would no longer have the option of doing so; instead, it would be Russia or nothing. Putin would literally go to any lengths to subvert western culture. Anyone who bought oil and gas from the region after he took control of the Crimea would, in essence, be paying Russia.
• Additionally, it gave Russia control over distribution, which had a negative impact on Ukraine's economy and prevented them from accessing a region that was a major source of the country's energy. Since taking control of Crimea, Putin has essentially waged an economic war against Ukraine. Given that Putin has been torturing the Ukrainian people for far longer than just the past year, it is terrible that he was permitted to get away with so much. What would happen if Ukraine managed to retake the peninsula and drive Russian forces out of the area? The initial benefits would be that reclaiming the Donbas Region and Crimea would mean that Ukraine had secured all of the lands that Russia had stolen from them. It is obvious why Russia wanted Crimea and why it is so important.