The Russian Black Sea Fleet has been forced to relocate almost all of its combat-ready ships from the temporarily occupied Crimea to other places, and its main naval center becomes ineffective due to attacks by Ukrainian troops.
This was stated by the commander of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Alexey Neizhpapa, in an interview with Reuters.
Russia is losing its naval center in Crimea: what is known
The commander of the Ukrainian Navy noted that attacks by Ukrainian missiles and naval drones caused significant damage to the Russian base in Sevastopol.
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This particular base is a logistics center for repair, maintenance, training and storage of ammunition, and also performs other important functions for Russian troops.
– It (center, — ed.) was created over many decades, perhaps centuries. And now the Russians are obviously losing this center,” Neizhpapa said.
The Russian Federation moved combat-ready ships to Novorossiysk
Ukraine, which does not have large warships, has used unmanned military boats with explosives in them to attack enemy ships.
Ukrainian troops also attacked enemy fleet facilities and other military targets in Crimea using Storm Shadow and ATACM missiles.
– “Almost all the main combat-ready ships have been withdrawn by the enemy from the main base of the Black Sea Fleet and are located in Novorossiysk, some of them are in the Sea of Azov,” said the commander of the Ukrainian Navy.
Russia's naval base at Novorossiysk on the eastern Black Sea coast lacks the large facilities at Sevastopol, which served as a storage and loading site for cruise missiles used by warships to launch airstrikes in Ukraine, he said.
“As I understand it, they are now trying to solve this problem in Novorossiysk,” said Neizhpapa, calling this a key issue for the Russian fleet.
How many APUs destroyed or damaged enemy ships
In addition, the commander of the Ukrainian Navy reported that Ukraine destroyed or damaged 27 Russian warships, including five, according to him, destroyed as a result of an explosion on sea mines laid by Ukrainian naval drones near the Sevastopol Bay.
At the same time, the commander reported that in order to strengthen defensive positions, some Russian warships, which rarely entered the Sea of Azov east of Crimea, are now there regularly.
According to him, the Black Sea Fleet is now primarily used for logistics, control over a small part of the coastal territory and for launching Caliber cruise missiles at Ukraine.
