The Russians are currently unable to bring their damaged warships back to the naval repair base in Sevastopol. Moscow is avoiding the issue.
Sevastopol – Kyiv’s armed forces have succeeded in preventing Russia from bringing damaged ships from the Black Sea Fleet to the important naval repair base in Sevastopol. Sevastopol was recently attacked by Ukrainian missiles and drones and is one of the most important Black Sea ports on the occupied Crimea.
Moscow’s navy in repair backlog: Kiev seizes opportunity and attacks
According to Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesman for the Ukrainian marinePutin’s fleet has been in a repair backlog since Tuesday (20 August). Kiev is taking advantage of this and continues to attack Moscow’s warships.
Satellite images from August 9 showed that a life-size dummy submarine resembling the Russian Kilo-class diesel-electric attack submarine had been placed at the Sevastopol naval base. Just a week earlier, the Ukrainian military had claimed that a submarine of the same type had been sunk in a missile attack, reports the news portal Newsweek.
The Ukrainian spokesman also stated that it was “logistically not feasible” for Russia to move its damaged warships to other bases in the Black Sea region for repairs, such as Novorossiysk on the northeast coast, because this base was also attacked by Ukrainian military intelligence on July 3.
Alternative: Russia uses occupied ports in Georgia for its ships
Another option for Russia is the port in Ochamchire, a Georgian city on the southeastern coast of the Black Sea. The region belongs to Georgia under international law, but has been occupied by Russian troops since the war with Russia in 2008.
As the news channel Naval News reported, a Russian warship stationed in Novorossiysk docked there on July 10. Russia could also use this port now to protect its warships from Ukrainian attacks or as a base for operations in the Black Sea.
The Kalibr cruise missile has an estimated range of 1,500 to 2,500 kilometers. It is one of the most important weapons of the Russian Navy and has been frequently used in attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. It can be fired from surface ships and submarines.
Accusation: Moscow violates international convention at sea
The Ukrainian Navy claimed in June that a third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet had been disabled due to attacks. A month later, the Ukrainian Navy announced that for the first time, three Russian Kilo-class submarines armed with Kalibr-type cruise missiles had been deployed simultaneously in the Azov Black Sea region.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Navy reported no Russian warships in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov on Wednesday morning (21 August). It also accused Russia of violating the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea by disabling identification systems on ships transiting the Kerch Strait. (bg)
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