Russia's Black Sea Fleet remains capable despite damaging Ukrainian attacks, MOD warns
Russia's Black Sea Fleet has suffered a series of major attacks over the past few weeks, but remains capable of carrying out its main wartime missions, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has revealed.
In its latest intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine, the MOD said the attacks on the Black Sea Fleet's base in Sevastopol on 20 and 22 September had been the most damaging and coordinated to date.
The update follows a report from Ukraine's special forces that said Moscow's top admiral in Crimea, along with 33 other officers, had been killed in the missile attacks.
However, the MOD intelligence update warned that the Black Sea Fleet, despite having being degraded, was still combat-capable.
It said: "The physical damage to the BSF is almost certainly severe, but localised. The fleet almost certainly remains capable of fulfilling its core wartime missions of cruise missile strikes and local security patrols.
"It is, however, likely that its ability to continue wider regional security patrols and enforce its de facto blockade of Ukrainian ports will be diminished.
"It also likely has a degraded ability to defend its assets in port and to conduct routine maintenance."
Russia remains silent on commander's reported death
The Russian defence ministry has yet to confirm or deny that Admiral Viktor Sokolov, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet and one of Russia's most senior naval officers, had been killed.
If confirmed, the death of Adm Sokolov would be one of Kyiv's most significant strikes in Crimea.
"After the strike on the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, 34 officers died, including the commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Another 105 occupiers were wounded. The headquarters building cannot be restored," Ukraine's special forces said on the Telegram messaging app.
In July, it was reported that Russia was reinforcing control over the Sea of Azov by establishing a new Azov Naval District.
The MOD intelligence report said the district had been established on 1 July and would be headquartered in the occupied coastal city of Mariupol in southeast Ukraine.
The district will reportedly command eight warships, including three modern Karakurt-class corvettes which can launch SS-N-30A Kalibr cruise missiles.
As of now, the MOD intelligence report said a "dynamic, deep strike battle is underway in the Black Sea".
"This is likely forcing Russia into a reactive posture whilst demonstrating that Ukraine's military can undermine the Kremlin's symbolic and strategic power projection from its warm water port in occupied Sevastopol," it added.
Related topics
Join Our Newsletter
