Russia deploys barges to shield Novorossiysk against Ukraine’s maritime drones – British intelligence

At the entrance of Novorossiysk port, where their Black Sea fleet is stationed, Russians have begun installing barges to defend themselves from potential Ukrainian attacks.

The Ministry of Defense of Great Britain reported this with reference to its intelligence data.

The British Ministry of Defense was able to locate four barges positioned near the port entrance.

According to British intelligence, after Ukrainian attacks on ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, the Russians were forced to hide their "most valuable assets" in Novorossiysk.

^{Photo: X / DefenceHQ}

The British Ministry of Defense also notes that the former commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Viktor Sokolov, was removed from his post in February 2024, precisely after Ukraine's success in attacking Russian ships with drones.

On August 30, 2023, satellite images showed that the Russian occupiers installed barges south of the Crimean bridge. They should probably become a barrier against Ukrainian naval drones.

Earlier, British intelligence reported that after a series of significant losses of Russian ships in the Black Sea, the Black Sea Fleet commander and the Russian Navy head were replaced.

For reference:

In November 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the formation of a special naval fleet consisting of 100 Ukrainian-made naval drones.

Subsequently, the Ukrainian military, for the first time, showed journalists naval drones that attack Russian ships.

Thus, during one of the last attacks on the Russian fleet in Crimea, the Ukrainians damaged the large amphibious assault ship "Olenegorsky Gornyak."

Later, the Security Service of Ukraine revealed the Ukrainian-made "Sea Baby" naval drone that had been targeted on the Crimean bridge. Ukraine also utilized these drones to demolish the Russian military's SIG tanker that was carrying fuel.

According to reports, Russian forces can destroy 60–70% of Ukraine's naval drones, but they remain a viable weapon.