“Putin’s continued illegal occupation of Ukraine is exacting a massive cost on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet” – British defense minister

Great Britain's Defense Minister, Grant Shapps, responded on Sunday, March 24 to the Ukrainian Defense Forces' victory over two Russian amphibious vessels in temporarily occupied Crimea.

The politician made his reaction public on the social network X.

"Putin's continued illegal occupation of Ukraine is exacting a massive cost on Russia's Black Sea Fleet, which is now functionally inactive. Russia has sailed the Black Sea since 1783 but is now forced to constrain it's fleet to port. And even there Putin's ships are sinking!" Shapps' post reads.

As Rubryka reported, on Saturday, the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit the large Russian amphibious ships "Yamal" and "Azov", the communications center, and several infrastructure facilities of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol.

On the eve of this statement, on March 23, about ten explosions rang out in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol. Propagandists said that rockets were allegedly fired at the peninsula from 12 enemy planes.

According to Dmytro Pletenchuk, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Naval Forces, the communication center of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which was destroyed in Sevastopol on March 23, was a crucial component of troop control:

"Any loss, especially one as sensitive as communication, always affects the ability to control troops. In any war, this is one of the main factors that can contribute to a positive outcome of combat operations. If you have many units, then you won't see victory if you can't manage it."

In addition, early in the morning on March 24, another series of explosions rang out in the temporarily occupied Crimea: social networks reported that drones had hit an oil depot near the village of Hvardiyske.

For reference:

In general, explosions are heard more and more often in Crimea. Ukrainian defenders have already carried out dozens of operations on the peninsula and in the Black Sea, destroying Russian bases, warehouses, and ships.

In October 2022, Ukrainian Security Service maritime drones attacked ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol Bay, damaging the frigate "Admiral Makarov" among others.

Overall, in 2023, Ukrainian drones damaged:

• the missile cruiser "Samum,"
• the missile cruiser "Pavel Derzhavin,"
• the tanker SIG,
• the landing ship "Olenegorsky Gornyak,"
• damaged the tugboat "Nikolay Mur."
• the advanced reconnaissance-hydrographic ship "Vladimir Kozitsky."

On December 26, 2023, Ukrainian Defense Forces attacked the large landing ship "Novocherkassk" of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the area of Feodosia.

Also, Ukrainian intelligence destroyed the missile boat "Ivanovets" of the Russian Black Sea Fleet overnight on February 1. Its approximate value is $60-70 million.

As a result of a series of direct hits to the hull, the Russian ship suffered damages incompatible with further movement. Thus, the "Ivanovets" listed aft and sank.

On February 14, Ukrainian drones of the Main Directorate of Intelligence attacked the Russian sizeable amphibious assault ship "Caesar Kunikov" in the Black Sea in the morning.

The Navy of Ukraine's armed forces announced that out of 13 Russia's Black Sea Fleet ships, after the destruction of the prominent Russian amphibious assault ship "Caesar Kunikov," only five units remain "in service."