British intelligence analyzes Russian Black Sea Fleet’s capabilities after 1,000 days of war

The Russian Federation's Black Sea Fleet was forced to withdraw from Crimea after losing a quarter of its ships to Ukrainian strikes, but it retains the ability to launch missiles.

The UK Ministry of Defense reported that on X (Twitter).

According to the British military, before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Russian leadership almost certainly perceived the Russian Navy and the Black Sea Fleet as inseparable components of its strategic maritime power.

"After 1,000 days of war, Russia's naval capabilities in the Black Sea were significantly depleted due to highly effective Ukrainian operations," the report says.

In addition, before the invasion, the Ukrainian Navy was significantly inferior in size to the Black Sea Fleet. It was limited to several large warships and coastal defense vessels.

However, according to British intelligence, since February 24, 2022, Ukrainian forces have destroyed or damaged more than 25% of large Russian warships operating in the Black Sea, including the sinking of the Black Sea Fleet's flagship, the cruiser Moskva, which was previously considered a leading air defense platform.

As a result, the Russian Black Sea Fleet was forced to move all of its main forces from its historic base in Sevastopol to Novorossiysk in the eastern Black Sea. Russian units operating in the region have also been forced to adapt their tactics and change their operating areas.

"Although the Russian Black Sea Fleet is currently limited to the eastern Black Sea, it retains the ability to deliver long-range strikes against Ukraine in support of ground operations," the British Ministry of Defense emphasized.

For reference:

As stated by the spokesman for the Navy of Ukraine's armed forces, Captain 3rd Rank Dmytro Pletenchuk, there are no safe locations left for enemy ships in Crimea, so the tactics of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's command are reduced to minimizing the risks of destroying their ships and boats.

During the full-scale war, Ukraine considerably ramped up its production of domestic drones. In particular, it began manufacturing marine drones and established a special fleet.

According to Dekhtiarenko, spokesperson of Ukraine's Security Service, these drones have already hit 11 Russian ships:

• missile carrier "Samum,"
• missile carrier "Pavel Derzhavin,"
• SIG tanker,
• amphibious assault ship "Olenegorsky Gornyak,"
• tugboat "Nikolay Moore,"
• latest reconnaissance and hydrographic ship "Vladimir Kozytskyi."

On December 26, 2023, the Ukrainian Defense Forces attacked the sizeable amphibious ship of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation "Novocherkask" in the Feodosia region.

Also, on the night of February 1, Ukrainian scouts destroyed the missile boat "Ivanovets" of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation. Its value is approximately 60-70 million dollars.

As Rubryka previously wrote, the occupiers withdrew almost all significant and combat-ready ships from the Black Sea Fleet base in temporarily occupied Sevastopol to the Russian Novorossiysk.