As Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime collapsed in a matter of days, Russia's influence in the Middle East appeared to wane. Preoccupied with its all-out war against Ukraine, Russia was unable to prevent the Dec. 8 downfall of its main ally in the region. The stunning rapidity of the rebels'
"It (Black Sea Fleet) was forced to change, in fact, its registration because our large ships became large targets for the enemy's unmanned boats," Dmitry Rogozin, a Russian official heading the Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, said.
Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, said that if Russia deploys several cruise missile carriers to the sea, it does not mean they will be used for an attack.
The Russian Baltic Fleet minesweeper Alexander Obukhov was put out of action thanks to a sabotage operation by Ukraine's military intelligence, the agency said on Oct. 7.
Last October, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine would strike Russia's Black Sea Fleet wherever it will be stationed — implying that could also include occupied parts of Georgia, where Russia has kept a garrison and is rumored to be constructing a naval base. "We will reach them everywhere," the president
The older vessels, which are also poorly maintained, have undeclared owners and questionable insurance, make up the majority of Russian oil transportation due to Western sanctions, according to Bloomberg.
The Magura drone can cover a distance of more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) at a speed of 80 km/h (50 mph) and is capable of carrying a 250-kilogram warhead.
Key developments on Aug. 3-4: * Zelensky confirms F-16s already being used by Ukrainian Air Force * Ukraine's military says it sunk Russian Black Sea Fleet submarine, damaged S-400 missile system in 'successful hit' * Ukraine hit Morozovsk airfield, oil depots in Russia overnight, General Staff confirms * Military: Egyptians recruited by Russia fight
Key developments on Aug. 2: * Ukraine's second Ada-class corvette launched in Turkey * Occupied Crimea hit by Ukrainian missile attack, Russia claims * China claims its Ukraine peace plan has support of more than 110 countries * 'Signs of escalation' on battlefield in Kharkiv sector, Ukraine's military says * Russia exaggerating numbers of contract
The Russian navy began scheduled exercises involving a significant portion of its fleet, including 20,000 personnel and 300 ships, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on July 30.
An explosion at a gas distribution hub near Alushta in Russian-occupied Crimea on the evening of July 6 caused a large fire, the Telegram channel Crimean Wind reported.
Around 30% of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet had been destroyed as of December 2023, according to the Ukrainian military.
Russia started using submarines to patrol the Black Sea after a number of ships were attacked by Ukraine, Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces, said on national television on June 10.
Key developments on May 30: * Ukraine hit 4 Russian patrol boats in occupied Crimea overnight, military intelligence says * Ukraine hits Russian ferry crossing with ATACMS in Crimea, General Staff says * Politico: Biden quietly allows Ukraine to strike Russia with US arms but 'solely near Kharkiv' * Ukraine can use Danish-supplied F-16s
Ukrainian Magura 5V naval drones damaged two more Russian patrol boats in occupied Crimea, bringing the total number of vessels struck in the overnight attack on May 30 to four, Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) said.
Key developments on May 21: * General Staff confirms Russian missile ship Tsiklon struck in occupied Crimea * EU Council approves using Russian assets revenue to fund Ukraine * Politico: US may announce new military aid package for Ukraine this week * Reuters: Germany plans to up Ukraine military aid by 3.8 billion
The ship was reportedly hit during an attack that the Ukrainian Navy said resulted in the destruction of the Russian minesweeper Kovrovets.
Moscow claims that it had shot down nine U.S.-provided long-range ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) missiles, and a drone over Crimea.
If confirmed, it would be the largest drone attack by Ukraine throughout the entire war. A previous attack in March saw the Kremlin claiming to have downed 65 drones.
Drones and missiles struck an oil refinery and seaport in the Russian city of Novorossiysk in the early hours of May 17, causing explosions and power outages, the Russian Telegram news channel Astra reported.
Russian forces have encountered a new enemy in the Black Sea: Ukraine’s arsenal of naval kamikaze drones. These deceptively small unmanned vehicles have targeted Russia’s Black Sea Fleet since September 2022, picking off Russian battleships one by one. The latest of Ukraine’s maritime conquests was the Russian
Key developments on May 7: * SBU says it foiled Russia's plot to assassinate Zelensky, 2 Ukrainian colonels detained * Government backs proposal on unmanned systems armed forces branch * Military intelligence: Ukraine constantly inventing new ways to sink Russian ships * Russian strikes on Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast injure at least six * Zelensky:
A missile was launched at the Russian Black Sea Fleet stationed in occupied Sevastopol on April 21, the city’s Russian-installed governor has said. A source in Ukraine’s military intelligence told the Kyiv Independent that information on the strike was still being clarified.
Ukrainian naval drones Sea Baby have been modernized and can now carry almost a ton of explosives to hit a target over 1,000 kilometers away, Artem Dekhtiarenko, the spokesperson of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), said on April 14.
The Russian missile ship Serpukhov, which was reportedly set fire, will be difficult to repair under sanctions pressure, Dmytro Pletenchuk, Ukraine's Navy spokesperson, said on April 9.
Key developments on April 2: * Ukraine hits drone factory, oil refinery in Russia's Tatarstan * Zelensky signs several laws on mobilization, making younger men eligible for draft * Putin appoints new Black Sea Fleet commander * Russia's missile attack against Dnipro injures 18, including 5 children * Government allocates additional $144 million for fortifications
Russia’s war against Ukraine is shattering the conventions of warfare in many ways. One of the most illustrative examples is the systematic destruction of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet (BSF) by Ukraine, a country that has virtually no navy of its own. The Ukrainian military’s use of coastal
Russian leader Vladimir Putin appointed Vice Admiral Sergey Pinchuk as the new commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, state news agency RIA Novosti reported on April 2.
"Recent imagery analysis has identified four barges positioned at the entrance to the Black Sea Fleet facility of Novorossiysk Sea Port. This is an effort to enhance the defenses of the port against attacks from Ukrainian Uncrewed Surface Vessels," the U.K. Defense Ministry reported.
Russia has now withdrawn all its major vessels from occupied Crimea except for the rocket carrier Cyclone, which has never launched a missile, a Navy spokesperson said on March 30.
Russian forces in occupied Crimea are constructing barriers at the entrance to Sevastopol Bay to prevent further Ukrainian strikes on the Black Sea fleet, the partisan group Atesh reported on March 27.
Key developments on March 26: * UN: At least 32 Ukrainian POWs executed in Russian captivity during winter * Russian landing ship Konstantin Olshansky hit with Neptune missile, says Ukraine * Ukraine dismisses Security Council secretary Danilov * Polish official says NATO considering shooting down Russian missiles that approach its borders * SBU says it
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