UK Intelligence assesses strength of Russia’s Black Sea fleet after three years of war
Photo: Moscow cruiser (twitter.com/osinttechnical)
After three years of war, Russia’s naval capabilities in the Black Sea have been significantly restricted due to highly effective Ukrainian operations. However, its ships still have the ability to carry out long-range missile strikes, the UK Ministry of Defense reports on X.
According to the update, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Russian leadership almost certainly viewed the Russian Navy and the Black Sea Fleet as essential components of its maritime power.
Before the invasion, the Ukrainian Navy was significantly outnumbered by the Black Sea Fleet and was limited to a small number of major warships and coastal defense vessels.
Throughout the conflict, the Ukrainian Navy has been unable to operate in the Black Sea in a conventional manner. However, since February 24, 2022, Ukrainian forces have destroyed or damaged at least 24 Russian vessels operating in the Black Sea. This includes sinking the Black Sea Fleet’s flagship Moscow cruiser, which was previously a key air defense platform, the report states.
According to UK intelligence, as a result, Russia’s Black Sea Fleet was forced to relocate all its major assets from its historical base in Sevastopol to Novorossiysk, in the Eastern Black Sea. Russian units operating in the region have also been forced to adapt their tactics and change their operational areas.
"Despite Russia`s Black Sea Fleet currently being limited to the Eastern Black Sea, it retains the ability to conduct long-range strikes into Ukraine in support of land operations," the UK Ministry of Defense stated.
Earlier, Commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa, stated that the Russian Black Sea Fleet was forced to relocate almost all of its operational ships from occupied Crimea to other locations.
