Attacks from Ukraine progressively weakening Russia’s Black Sea navy

Ukrainian sea robots reportedly destroyed another Russian warship in the Black Sea on Tuesday. This is the latest attack in a series that has weakened Moscow’s navy and made it harder for them to fight in the war, which has been going on for three years.

The Ukrainian military used drones and missiles to successfully attack the enemy. This has made the soldiers in Kyiv feel more confident, especially because they are outnumbered and outgunned by the Russian forces along the long frontline.

Confronting Russia’s naval power has also made it easier for Ukraine to export grain and other goods from its ports on the Black Sea.

Here are recent attacks by Ukraine on Russian naval ships and what happened as a result.

Non-stop hits

Ukrainian naval drones have attacked a patrol ship near the Kerch Strait. The Kerch Strait connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. This information comes from Ukraine’s military intelligence agency. The attack killed seven Russian crew members and injured six. 52 crew members were rescued. We cannot be sure if this information is true.

The Russian Defence Ministry did not say anything about the claim, but some Russian military bloggers said that the ship was lost and its crew was saved.

If it’s true, the strike would be the most recent time Ukraine’s own Magura drones, small boats that can move fast without any crew, have been used successfully. These drones have become a big problem for the Russian navy. Just last month, drones destroyed Russia’s Caesar Kunikov ship and Ivanovets missile boat. The Russian military has not admitted to the losses, but Russian military bloggers and some media have reported on them.

In late December, Ukraine used long-range cruise missiles to destroy a Russian landing vessel in Crimea’s port of Feodosia. The Russian military said the ship was hurt in the attack, but Russian war bloggers said it was destroyed.

The Ukrainian military has been continuously using cruise missiles and drones to attack Russian radar facilities, air defense systems, and air bases in Crimea, which is a part of Ukraine that Russia took over in 2014. Ukrainian soldiers shot down two Russian planes in the Sea of Azov in January and February. This made it harder for Russia to gather important information.

The attacks happened after Ukraine had already done well in the war. They sank one of Russia’s important ships and also attacked their headquarters.

Ukraine’s dangerous weapons

Ukraine is using remote-controlled drone boats with explosives to help them win naval battles against Russia, even though Russia has way more firepower. The Magura drones have really good GPS and cameras, and they are hard to detect because they don’t show up much on radar.

The new Magura V5 is 5. 5 meters long and weighs up to 1,000 kilograms. It can travel up to 800 kilometers and has a battery life of 60 hours. It can also carry up to 200 kilograms of weight. Ukrainian authorities provided this information. It also sends live video to the people who are in charge.

Ukraine also used cruise missiles given by the U. KFrance and Russia are fighting because France attacked Russian things in Crimea. The missiles were made by Britain and France together and the U. Kcalled them Storm Shadow. France and Ukraine’s old warplanes launch SCALP-EG missiles that can travel more than 250 kilometres.

Western leaders are impressed with how Ukraine has been able to use its limited resources to fight against stronger Russian forces. They have managed to destroy about 20% of the Black Sea fleet, which has weakened Russia’s naval power.

Stopping the Russian blockade.

The attacks on Russian ships helped Ukraine to increase its food and other exports from the Black Sea, even though Russia stopped guaranteeing safe shipment of Ukrainian grain last summer.

Moscow backing out of the deal could mean that Russian ships may attack ships carrying Ukrainian grain and other products. This could hurt the Ukrainian economy and make food shortages an issue for the world.

However, the constant Ukrainian attacks on Russian warships and other military equipment in the area have caused Russia’s fleet to become defensive, reducing its ability to attack.

What was Russia’s response.

Russian military bloggers and commentators are mad at the Defence Ministry for not doing enough to protect the navy from attacks by drones and missiles from Ukraine. The Defence Ministry hasn’t said much about it.

The strikes made the Russian navy do things to keep ships safe. They had to move some ships from ports in Crimea to Novorossiysk so they wouldn’t get hurt. This made it harder for the navy to do its work.

Even though the Black Sea fleet was damaged in attacks from Ukraine, it is still strong and can still launch long-distance missile attacks at Ukraine. Russian air bases in Crimea are still working and have planes that are flying missions to help their soldiers on the ground.

Russian military bloggers said that the leader of the Black Sea fleet, Adm. Viktor Sokolov was fired last month because the warships under his command kept getting lost. They did not officially confirm that he was removed from his position.