An expert has warned that Ukraine could “strike nuclear weapon storage sites” in Crimea as Kyiv’s military intelligence has suggested that Russia has nuclear munitions in the annexed peninsula.

An expert from the National Institute for Strategic Studies (NISS) said that in Crimea Russia has ground, air and sea-based carriers for nuclear munitions in Crimea.

Russia has dual-capable carriers in the Black Sea in Crimea which are a “legitimate target for attack.”

Jason Jay Smart who is a correspondent at the Kyiv Post warned those in Crimea, that “Russians need to feel that they are no longer safe, that this is not far away war on TV.”

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He added, that “in 2023, Ukraine is forcefully bringing the war home to Russians.”

This comes as the head of Ukraine’s military warned Moscow that their strikes will go “deeper and deeper” into Russia.

Oleksiy Yizhak told Ukrainian broadcaster Radio NV said, “Everything that is located in Crimea is dual-capable carriers.

“They are used in conventional warfare. And everything used by Russia in conventional warfare is a legitimate target for attack.”

He added, “Even if nuclear weapons have appeared in Crimea (I personally doubt that they are there on a permanent basis – it’s too risky), then such a target with nuclear weapons would become even more legitimate.

“Its appearance in Crimea would mean that Russia is preparing a nuclear attack on Ukraine.”

Yizhak said that Russia’s doctrine of when they would launch a nuclear strike is if they are attacked “by [an] adversary against critical governmental or military sites of the Russian Federation, disruption of which would undermine nuclear forces response actions.”

On Wednesday morning in the early hours Ukraine attacked Belbek military airbase which houses scores of military equipment.

Air defence systems were heard in the city of Sevastopol in Crimea as Ukrainian long-range drones triggered Russian forces to shoot down two of them.

The head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, said on Wednesday that he is “very glad” a Russian airbase was attacked, but stopped short of admitting Kyiv was behind the drone attacks in Crimea.