 Ukraine pledges more attacks on Crimea. Ukraine's military spy chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said that Kiev's attacks in Russian annexed Crimea were set to intensify, adding that Moscow's economy was proving surprisingly resilient, despite sanctions. In 2023, the first Ukrainian incursions took place in temporarily occupied Crimea. Budanov told French daily Le Monde, and this is just the beginning. Ukraine has also repeatedly targeted Russia's Black Sea Fleet based in Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula. The Russians have had to move everything in a hurry to the southeast. Budanov said, adding that Moscow was now trying to set up a naval base on the Black Sea coast of the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia. He acknowledged that the front lines were largely frozen in Ukraine. On both sides, the very intensive use of attack drones has made both Russian and Ukrainian offensives impossible, he said. Another factor has been the density of minefields unprecedented since World War II. Signs of fatigue over the war in Ukraine might be increasing, but Budanov urged the West to keep supporting Kiev militarily. Those who think they are tired of Ukraine abroad will have to cut Russians when they come to occupy their own territories, he said.