Ukraine’s navy announced on Tuesday that Russia is having a tough time fixing its Black Sea Fleet ships, which were damaged in recent Ukrainian attacks. This situation comes as Ukraine intensifies its offensive on Moscow’s naval forces.
Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, mentioned that Russia has struggled to use its primary naval repair facility in Sevastopol, a key Black Sea port in Crimea that is under occupation. Ukrainian missiles and drones have repeatedly struck Sevastopol during the conflict.
A satellite image from August 9 revealed a life-sized decoy of Russia’s Kilo-class submarine was stationed at the Sevastopol naval base. This was just a week after Ukraine reported that a real Kilo-class submarine had been sunk in their missile strikes.
Pletenchuk also pointed out that transferring damaged Russian warships to other repair bases, such as Novorossiysk on the northeastern Black Sea coast, isn’t feasible. This port was targeted by Ukraine’s military intelligence on July 3.
On July 10, Naval News highlighted that a Russian warship based in Novorossiysk docked in Ochamchire, Georgia, potentially to shield itself from Ukrainian strikes or to serve as an operational base.
Additionally, Russia moved two Karakurt-class corvettes armed with Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, aiming to threaten Ukrainian forces. However, Pletenchuk suggested that the threat level from these missiles has diminished since the war began.
The 63-mile-long Volga-Don Canal connects both seas, allowing Russia to shift its naval assets as needed. The Kremlin’s Caspian Flotilla plays a crucial role in reinforcing its naval presence in the Black Sea, especially since Turkey has closed its straits.
The Kalibr missile, which has an impressive range of 932 to 1,553 miles, serves as the Russian Navy’s primary ground-strike weapon. It has been widely used in attacks against Ukrainian infrastructure and can be launched from various platforms.
Back in June, the Ukrainian Navy reported that about a third of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet was rendered non-operational due to ongoing assaults. By July, three Kilo-class submarines equipped with Kalibr missiles made a synchronous appearance in the Azov-Black Sea region for the first time.
As of Wednesday morning, the Ukrainian Navy reported no sightings of Russian warships in either the Black Sea or the Sea of Azov. They also accused Russia of violating international safety laws by turning off identification systems on their ships in transit through the Kerch Strait.