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Ukraine’s Defense Forces have inflicted unprecedented damage on Russia’s naval power in the Black and Azov seas, effectively forcing Moscow’s fleet into a defensive posture, according to a summary released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
Despite lacking a large conventional navy, Ukraine has achieved what many military analysts once considered unlikely — significantly degrading a superior fleet in waters long viewed by Russia as its “home turf.” As of early 2026, around 30% of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has been destroyed or seriously damaged, the ministry said.
The campaign began in March 2022 with the destruction of the landing ship Saratov in occupied Berdiansk, disrupting Russia’s plans for amphibious operations in southern Ukraine. Just weeks later, Ukraine sank the fleet’s flagship, the missile cruiser Moskva, using Neptune anti-ship missiles — a loss that crippled Russian air defense coverage at sea and paved the way for the liberation of Snake Island and the launch of the grain corridor.
Throughout 2022 and 2023, Ukraine expanded its use of drones, missiles, and asymmetric tactics, targeting supply ships, landing craft, and patrol vessels around Snake Island and Crimea. Strikes on vessels such as Vsevolod Bobrov and Vasily Bekh disrupted Russian logistics and ultimately forced Moscow to withdraw from key positions in the northwestern Black Sea.
A turning point came with the growing use of naval drones, which enabled long-range strikes deep into Russian-controlled waters. In 2023, Ukrainian attacks damaged or destroyed multiple high-value assets, including the submarine Rostov-on-Don and landing ship Minsk in Sevastopol, as well as the modern corvette Askold in Kerch before it even entered service.
Operations intensified in 2024, with the destruction of the missile boat Ivanovets, the sinking of landing ship Caesar Kunikov, and successful strikes against patrol ships such as Sergey Kotov. Coordinated attacks also damaged multiple vessels in Sevastopol, including Yamal, Azov, and the reconnaissance ship Ivan Khurs.
Ukraine also targeted Russia’s logistics backbone, destroying the railway ferry Conro Trader in the Kerch Strait — a key route for fuel and ammunition deliveries to occupied Crimea.
More recent strikes in 2025–2026 have further eroded Russia’s capabilities, including attacks on missile ships, landing craft, and even a modern “Varshavyanka”-class submarine. A large-scale drone assault on Novorossiysk — now the fleet’s main base after its relocation from Crimea — sank the minesweeper Valentin Pikul and damaged additional anti-submarine vessels.
According to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, these losses have forced Russia to relocate much of its fleet, limit the use of large warships, and increasingly rely on defensive measures. The Black Sea, once dominated by Russian forces, has effectively become a high-risk zone for any vessel flying the Russian flag.
