According to Ukraine’s navy, Russia’s military has removed nearly all its combat ships capable of launching cruise missiles from Crimea as Ukraine continues to target Russia’s Black Sea fleet close to its war-torn borders. Captain Dmytro Pletenchuk, speaking to Ukrainian media on Saturday, revealed that nearly all the missile-equipped combat vessels have been relocated, except for one remaining ship. He identified the vessel as the Cyclone, a Karakurt-class corvette, calling it a “loser” since it hasn’t fired a single missile.
Ukraine’s navy, despite being relatively small, has been effective with its missile and naval drone attacks against Russia’s Black Sea fleet, primarily based in Crimea. Russia has struggled to defend against these persistent attacks, suffering significant losses, a stark contrast to its success in gaining territory on land. Ukrainian officials estimate that the Black Sea fleet has lost up to a third of its ships due to Ukraine’s assaults.
Recent strikes have hit key Russian vessels near Crimea, prompting Russia to pull back some of its naval assets to safer locations, including its base in Novorossiysk. Ukraine’s audacious tactics have disrupted Russia’s operations in the northwestern Black Sea. Among Ukraine’s targets were large landing ships like the Yamal and the Azov, struck in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol, as well as the Konstantin Olshansky landing ship and the Ivan Khurs reconnaissance vessel.
Russia’s response has included reinforcing its fleet with additional defenses, like large-caliber machine guns to fend off Ukraine’s naval drones. There are also reports of the Kremlin planning a new military base at the port of Ochamchire in Abkhazia, a breakaway region of Georgia, suggesting Russia’s intention to reposition its Black Sea assets further from Ukraine’s reach.
The U.K. government noted that Russia has likely limited most of its Black Sea operations to the eastern regions, away from Ukraine’s repeated attacks. Despite its current dominance in much of the Black Sea, Russia appears to be cautious about its presence in the northwestern corner, where Ukrainian strikes have been most frequent and effective.
