(NewsGlobal.com)- Most of the fighting in the Ukrainian war has taken place on land and in the air, with just a small number of engagements taking place in the maritime sphere.
Two high-ranking US Navy officers agree that the success of the Ukrainian navy in preventing the Russian Black Sea Fleet from approaching the Ukrainian shore has reduced the likelihood of future naval conflicts. Admiral Michael Gilday and Rear Admiral Mike Studeman concur that the Ukrainians have accomplished A2AD (anti-access area denial) and that the Russian Navy can only threaten Ukraine’s energy and other vital facilities with sporadic fires of precision-guided missiles.
But, as a result of Ukrainian aggression, Russia’s military position in the Black Sea has changed. Throughout the current conflict, Ukraine has delivered heavy blows to the Russian Navy, notably the loss of the Moskva missile cruiser in the Black Sea.
Following the sinking, five Russian vessels retreated from the Ukrainian shore, and Ukrainian forces launched aerial and naval drone attacks against the Russian Naval headquarters in Sevastopol. The Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates were mainly seen at the port of Sevastopol during the largest assault on the Black Sea Fleet since the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine.
The Black Sea Fleet’s Ivan Golubets minesweeper was reported to have sustained minor damage, but the Russian Ministry claimed to have destroyed all nine UAVs and seven UMVs. The OSINT data indicates that the explosive-laden Ukrainian Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) also managed to damage a Project 11356R ship (presumably Admiral Makarov).
Several Raptor attack boats were moved by road from the Baltic fleet to the Black Sea in January, one indicator of the Russian Navy’s buildup in the region, according to experts.
The Russian landing ship Pyotr Morgunov (Project 11711) and three submarines (Project 636.3 Improved-Kilo class) were seen departing their base in Novorossiysk on January 11. It was claimed that six Russian warships entered the Black Sea via the Bosphorus on February 8-9, implying that Turkey gave the Russian vessels entry.
