Russia is afraid to conduct military exercises in Black Sea - UK intelligence
Photo: Russia conducts first naval exercises in two years (Getty Images)
In September, Russia organized its first naval exercises in two years. But Moscow was afraid to conduct the exercises in the Black Sea, the UK Ministry of Defense says.
From September 10 to 16, the Russian Navy conducted large-scale strategic exercises Ocean-24. The exercise was held after a two-year pause.
Before the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia used to hold annual exercises involving all of its armed forces, but the latter was canceled due to the war in Ukraine.
UK intelligence believes that the Ocean-24 exercise was an attempt by Russia to demonstrate its potential and capability despite the war. Russian media claims that more than 400 ships, 120 aircraft, 7000 vehicles, and 90,000 soldiers took part in the exercises. The exercises were held in the Barents, Baltic, Mediterranean, and Caspian Seas, as well as in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans.
The UK Ministry of Defense believes that Russia has greatly exaggerated these figures, as there are currently only about 300 ships ready to take part in the exercise.
“No OKEAN-2024 activity took place in the Black Sea, highly likely because of Ukrainian attacks in the first six months of 2024,” the report says.
Russian Navy losses
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia has lost 28 warships and one submarine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian defenders are reducing the Russian fleet in the Black and Azov Seas with the help of naval drones and domestically produced firepower. In particular, in April 2022, the Ukrainian military managed to sink the Moskva missile cruiser. It was the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
