War in Ukraine: what is the “Budanov triangle”, where Russian boats and submarines disappear ?

Cette zone est stratégique pour les deux pays. MAXPPP – Thibault Savary/Le Pictorium

The appearance of the "Budanov triangle" on social networks of people who support Ukraine calls out. Like the famous "Bermuda Triangle" on the fringes of the American coast, this area is seeing the disappearance of many military ships and submarines. In reality, these destructions do not conceal any mystery but rather major strategic issues for kyiv and the Kremlin. 

The name of this triangle comes from a Ukrainian intelligence director, Kyrylo Budanov. The New York Times describes it as a "elite force trained by the CIA". Over the years, this soldier has "acquired a reputation for participating in daring operations behind enemy lines".

The Budanov triangle of several tens of thousands of square kilometers envelops Crimea and spills over the Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov: an area which carries as many strategic issues as the one which gave it its name. 

Strategic issues

As early as 2019, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin declared that: "The Black Sea will never belong to Russia. In fact, it will become a Bermuda Triangle for Russia."

In reality, this "triangle" is not dangerous for Russian aircraft for mystical, but military, reasons. Surrounding Crimea, these several thousand square kilometers form a triangle composed of the small region annexed in 2014, the Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov. 

This is a strategic area. On the one hand, the maritime corridor between Russia and Ukraine, which the Kremlin wants to occupy at all costs to maintain pressure on the country. On the other, the Black Sea and the connection with the rest of Europe, freight, aid for Ukraine and the western flank of Crimea. 

It is through this triangle that the Russian army passes, coveting and attacking the three cities located at the corners of the zone: Sevastopol, Mariupol and Odessa. 

The Budanov Triangle is an area of ​​90,000 kilometers in the south of Ukraine. Google Maps.

A zone of tensions

Since the start of the conflict, Russia and Ukraine have lost a number of aircraft in this triangle.

This is for example the case of the Ivanovets a few weeks ago, a Russian missile launcher. Or even Kremlin patrol boats using maritime drones in the Black Sea five days ago, reports Europe 1. This is also the case of the Russian ship Cesar Kounikov off the coast of Crimea in February, note TF1 Info< /em>.