Russia has strengthened the defenses of its Black Sea Fleet naval base in Novorossiysk, the British Ministry of Defense said in a statement. intelligence dispatch THURSDAY.
“Maintenance, logistics and weapons processing infrastructure in Novorossiysk have most likely been improved,” the ministry wrote in an X post, citing a satellite photo it had obtained.
The British Ministry of Defense noted in its update that the Black Sea Fleet “has largely withdrawn its ships and submarines from Sevastopol, further east, to Novorossiysk.”
Basing the fleet in Novorossiysk, the ministry said, was the “best method to avoid Ukrainian maritime attacks.”
Russian naval forces have suffered significant losses since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. In February, the head of the British armed forces, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, estimated that 25% of Russian ships in the Black Sea had been sunk or damaged.
Ukraine’s success in the naval war also resulted in the replacement of the former commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Viktor Sokolov, with Vice Admiral Sergei Pinchuk.
“The fleet has been the least active since the start of the war,” the British Ministry of Defense said on Thursday, noting that the change took place after Sokolov’s departure in March.
The emphasis on the Black Sea, by both Russians and Ukrainians, highlights the importance of the maritime trade route. For Ukraine, access to the Black Sea is essential for exporting the country’s grain and food products.
This is not the first time that the Russians have tried to strengthen their naval defenses to ward off future Ukrainian attacks.
Last month, the British Ministry of Defense said it had “identified four barges positioned at the entrance to the Black Sea Fleet facilities at the Novorossiysk seaport.”
“Pinchuk likely sought to improve the chances of survival of Russian ships by adopting additional preventive and defensive measures, including reducing access to port facilities,” the British Ministry of Defense said. wrote on March 31.
Representatives of the Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside normal business hours.
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