Russia has redeployed vessels of its Black Sea Fleet due to attacks by Ukrainian naval drones, Dmitry Rogozin, a Russian proxy head of occupation authorities in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, said in an interview with Kremlin-controlled Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper published on Oct. 21.
Rogozin's surprise admission is in line with previous statements made by Ukrainian officials.
Successful Ukrainian strikes on occupied Crimea forced Moscow to pull out much of its naval forces from the peninsula to the Russian city of Novorossiysk in Krasnodar Krai, which became a key port for the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
According to Rogozin, a "military-technical revolution" took place during Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, impacting the usefulness of traditional weapons systems. He referred to the Russian Black Sea Fleet as a weapon system that had undergone changes during the war.
"It (Black Sea Fleet) was forced... to change its residence because our large ships became targets for the enemy's unmanned boats," Rogozin said.
Ukraine has repeatedly struck Russia's vessels since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Around 30% of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is lost or disabled, according to the Ukrainian military.
Kateryna Denisova
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