Media: Russia appoints new acting navy commander

Admiral Aleksandr Moiseev was appointed as an acting commander of the Russian Navy on March 19, according to Russian state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti.

Russian media circulated in early March that Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, who had held the position since 2019, had been replaced. The reason for the reshuffle is unknown.

Kremlin-controlled media published a video purporting to show the ceremony in the Russian port city of Kronstadt where Moiseev, previously the commander of Russia's North Fleet, was presented with the title.

The Russian Defense Ministry did not comment on the reported replacement, and Yevmenov is still listed on the Defense Ministry's website.

The news came amid reports that around 30% of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet had been destroyed as of December 2023.

Ukraine has repeatedly struck Russia's Black Sea Fleet since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, including the sinking of the flagship cruiser Moskva in April 2022 and a devastating missile attack on the fleet's headquarters in occupied Crimea that reportedly killed more than 30 officers.

In a recent development, Sergey Kotov, a Russian Black Sea Fleet patrol ship, was hit and destroyed in an overnight attack orchestrated by Ukraine's military intelligence agency on March 5.

These are the most important Russian ships destroyed by Ukraine

Editor’s note: The article was originally published on Jan. 30 and updated on March 11 at 4:17 p.m. Kyiv time. One of the most unexpected developments of the full-scale invasion was how many big, expensive Russian ships were taken out by Ukraine, a country that technically has no

The Kyiv IndependentDinara Khalilova