Ukrainian Navy Spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said on March 26, 2024 that his country had sunk or disabled a third of all Russian warships in the Black Sea in the more than two-year war, which was a severe blow to Moscow’s military capability. Dmytro Pletenchuk said in a statement that the last attack carried out on the night of March 23 hit the Russian amphibious landing ship Kostiantyn Olshansky, which was waiting in the port of Sevastopol in the Russian-occupied Crimea. The ship was part of the Ukrainian Navy before Russia seized it during its annexation of the Black Sea Peninsula in 2014.[1]
Pletenchuk had previously announced that two other landing ships of the same type, the Azov and Yamal, were also damaged in the attack on March 23, along with the Ivan Khurs intelligence ship. Pletenchuk said that Sevastopol port facilities and an oil depot were also hit in the weekend attack with Ukrainian-made Neptune missiles. Russian officials had reported that Ukraine had launched a major attack on Sevastopol, but did not admit that there was any damage to the fleet.[2]
Pletenchuk said that with the latest attack, a third of all the warships that Russia had in the Black Sea before the war were destroyed or disabled. At the same time, he acknowledged that only two of about a dozen Russian warships carrying missiles had been sunk, and promised that Ukraine would continue the attacks. “Our ultimate goal is the complete destruction of military vessels belonging to the so-called Russian Federation in the Azov and Black Sea regions,” Pletenchuk said.[3]
Ukraine’s drone and missile strikes have provided a huge morale boost to Kiev at a time when its poorly armed and unarmed forces are facing Russian attacks along a more than 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) long front line. Challenging Russia’s naval supremacy has also helped to create more favorable conditions for Ukraine’s grain exports and other shipments from the country’s Black Sea ports. Although officials in Moscow have remained silent on most of Ukraine’s claims, previous losses of the navy have been confirmed by Russian military bloggers and media, and military officials have been sharply criticized for slow and sloppy response to the threat.[4]
In early March 2024, Russian media reported that the commander of the Navy, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, was dismissed and replaced by the Commander of Russia’s Northern Fleet, Admiral Alexander Moiseyev. The Kremlin has not yet announced the change of position. However, Moiseyev was presented as the new deputy naval commander at a ceremony held at a Russian naval base.[5]
Ukraine’s attacks against Russian warships appear to have affected the military balance in the Black Sea. The fact that the Ukrainian Navy is carrying out effective operations against Russian ships reflects Kiev’s determination to achieve its maritime security and strategic goals. It is stated that Ukraine bases its successful attacks on modern technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles and Neptune missiles. This shows that Ukraine’s military capabilities are developing and it is able to effectively fight against Russia’s military presence in the Black Sea.
Ukraine’s operations against Russian ships could increase the country’s capacity to keep its Black Sea ports and maritime trade under control. This situation can increase Ukraine’s effectiveness in regions of strategic importance from an economic point of view and strengthen Kiev’s political and military influence in the region.
The way Russia has responded to Ukraine’s military operations and the changes in the naval command show how Moscow is approaching the situation. Russia’s silence and the replacement of the navy commander are perhaps creating uncertainty about how Russia will respond to Ukraine’s military operations.
The impact of these conflicts on the international community and how to respond to Ukraine’s naval operations may increase or decrease tensions in the region. How the international community and other countries approach these developments may affect the balance of power in the region and strengthen or weaken the position Ukraine has taken in the conflict.
[1] “Ukrainian Navy Says a Third of Russian Warships in the Black Sea Have Been Destroyed or Disabled”, Associated Press News, https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-black-sea-navy-warships-8f614d856370a564ffee1e49f5313343, (Access Date: 27.03.2024).
[2] “Ukrainian Navy Says a Third of Russian Warships in the Black Sea Have Been Destroyed or Disabled”, The Hill, https://thehill.com/homenews/ap/ap-top-headlines/ap-ukrainian-says-a-third-of-russian-warships-in-the-black-sea-have-been-destroyed-or-disabled/, (Access Date: 27.03.2024).
[3] “Ukrainian Navy Says a Third of Russian Warships in the Black Sea Have Been Destroyed or Disabled”, Associated Press News, a.g.e., (Access Date: 27.03.2024).
[4] “Ukrainian Navy Says a Third of Russian Warships in the Black Sea Have Been Destroyed or Disabled”, The Hill, a.g.e., (Access Date: 27.03.2024).
[5] “Ukrainian Navy Says a Third of Russian Warships in the Black Sea Have Been Destroyed or Disabled”, Associated Press News, a.g.e., (Access Date: 27.03.2024).
