Russia has pulled almost all of its combat vessels capable of firing cruise missiles from Crimea, according to Ukraine’s navy. Ukrainian Captain Dmytro Pletenchuk stated that most of the combat units carrying cruise missiles have been relocated, except for one vessel, the Cyclone warship. Kyiv has been successful in targeting Russia’s Black Sea Fleet presence along the coastline, causing significant losses to the Russian military. The Cyclone, a Karakurt-class corvette, is the only remaining cruise missile-armed warship in Crimea, with Ukrainian officials estimating that Russia has lost up to a third of its Black Sea Fleet to Ukrainian attacks.
Ukraine has been inventive in its use of missiles and naval drones to target Russian vessels in the Black Sea, leading to heavy losses for Russia. Moscow has been ill-equipped to defend against these frequent attacks, resulting in considerable damage to its naval assets. Ukrainian forces have successfully targeted several Russian vessels based around Crimea, including large landing ships and reconnaissance vessels. Ukraine’s ability to inflict damage on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has been a significant challenge for Moscow, forcing the relocation of some naval assets to safer locations further away from Ukraine’s reach.
Despite Russia’s dominance across much of the Black Sea, Ukraine’s successful drone and missile strikes have limited Moscow’s operations in the northwestern corner closest to Ukraine. Retired Ukrainian Navy Captain Andrii Ryzhenko noted that Russia has been forced to relocate some of its naval assets to the Novorossiysk base in response to the threat posed by Ukraine’s attacks. Russia is also reportedly planning a new military base in Abkhazia, a breakaway region of Georgia, which would further distance its Black Sea assets from Ukraine’s coastline. The U.K. government believes that Russia has restricted most of its naval operations to the eastern Black Sea in response to Ukrainian aggression.
In response to the threat posed by Ukrainian drone and missile strikes, Russia has announced plans to enhance the protection around its fleet with large-caliber machine guns to counter incoming naval drones. Ukraine’s success in targeting Russian vessels has jeopardized Moscow’s operations in the Black Sea, prompting the relocation of naval assets to safer locations further away from Ukraine’s reach. Reports indicate that Russia has lost several vessels, including submarines, landing ships, and corvettes, as a result of Ukrainian attacks. Despite Russia’s overall dominance in the Black Sea, Ukraine’s persistent strikes have proven to be a significant challenge for the Russian military.
