Russian Naval Vessels Relocate Amidst Ukrainian Threats, Repair Units Anchored in Sevastopol.
In response to potential Ukrainian assaults, the Russian Black Sea Fleet (BSF) is strategically relocating several ships from its primary base in Sevastopol to alternative ports such as Kerch, Feodosia, and Novorossiysk, based on the latest report by the U.S. Institute for the Study of War. Captain Third Rank Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy, conveyed on October 14 that this maneuver comes in the wake of recent threatening incidents, including a Ukrainian assault on the Russian tugboat “Professor Nikolai Muru” and the patrol vessel “Pavel Derzhavin” the day prior.
Persisting Risks for Repair Units in Sevastopol
Despite the ongoing threats, certain vessels must remain at the Sevastopol base, Pletenchuk notes, as the base’s dry dock is the Russian Navy’s most vital in the Black Sea and is imperative for conducting necessary repairs. Consequently, these stationed units continue to be vulnerable to potential Ukrainian attacks since alternative ports lack adequate mooring facilities, rendering them unsuitable as contingency options.
The U.K. Ministry of Defense, in its report dated October 14, indicated that the Black Sea Fleet may have escalated its defensive and responsive strategies following Ukrainian strikes on military bases in August and September 2023.
Image: Halifers, The Russian Black Sea Fleet (BSF) is moving several of its ships from its main base in Sevastopol to other ports, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, (no changes made).