Black Sea Fleet command plans relocation from Crimea to Russia’s Novorossiysk, pro-Ukrainian partisans claim
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The Russian Black Sea Fleet is reportedly developing plans to relocate the remaining command and control units from its headquarters in occupied Sevastopol, Crimea, to Novorossiysk, Russia, the pro-Ukrainian Atesh partisan group claimed on June 14.
The partisans link the relocation to the increasing strikes on Crimea by Ukraine, including after the May 27 strike on the Russian Black Sea Fleet aviation headquarters.
“Since then, strikes on the peninsula have only intensified, and the logistical situation for the occupying forces in Crimea has significantly worsened,” Atesh wrote on Telegram.
The Kyiv Independent couldn't independently verify Atesh's claim.
According to military informants cited by the group, some officers are already privately arranging relocation for their families, disposing of property they cannot take with them, and settling into a new base in Novorossiysk, without waiting for official orders.
The mood among the fleet’s leadership is reportedly subdued, with those who understand the situation preferring not to delay, Atesh claimed.
“The relocation of command structures is a logical consequence of sustained pressure on the fleet's infrastructure in Crimea. Maintaining headquarters structures on the peninsula is becoming an increasingly costly and risky decision for the occupying forces,” the statement read.
“Judging by how the situation is developing, the coming months could be the most difficult for Russian forces in Crimea since the start of the war.”
Sevastopol has served as the base for Russia's Black Sea Fleet since before the occupations of Crimea in 2014. Repeated Ukrainian attacks using naval drones, missiles, and long-range drones have forced the Kremlin to reduce its naval presence in the peninsula.
The Atesh group also continues operations against Russian military infrastructure, including oil depots. It claimed that its members helped “blind” Russian air defenses during a May 23 Ukrainian drone attack on a major oil depot in Novorossiysk.
