Ukraine\u2019s Defense Forces have inflicted unprecedented damage on Russia\u2019s naval power in the Black and Azov seas, effectively forcing Moscow\u2019s fleet into a defensive posture, according to a summary released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.<\/p>\n
Despite lacking a large conventional navy, Ukraine has achieved what many military analysts once considered unlikely \u2014 significantly degrading a superior fleet in waters long viewed by Russia as its \u201chome turf.\u201d As of early 2026, around 30% of Russia\u2019s Black Sea Fleet has been destroyed or seriously damaged, the ministry said.<\/p>\n
The campaign began in March 2022 with the destruction of the landing ship Saratov<\/em> in occupied Berdiansk, disrupting Russia\u2019s plans for amphibious operations in southern Ukraine. Just weeks later, Ukraine sank the fleet\u2019s flagship, the missile cruiser Moskva<\/em>, using Neptune anti-ship missiles \u2014 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/em> and Vasily Bekh<\/em> disrupted Russian logistics and ultimately forced Moscow to withdraw from key positions in the northwestern Black Sea.<\/p>\n 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<\/em> and landing ship Minsk<\/em> in Sevastopol, as well as the modern corvette Askold<\/em> in Kerch before it even entered service.<\/p>\n Operations intensified in 2024, with the destruction of the missile boat Ivanovets<\/em>, the sinking of landing ship Caesar Kunikov<\/em>, and successful strikes against patrol ships such as Sergey Kotov<\/em>. Coordinated attacks also damaged multiple vessels in Sevastopol, including Yamal<\/em>, Azov<\/em>, and the reconnaissance ship Ivan Khurs<\/em>.<\/p>\n Ukraine also targeted Russia\u2019s logistics backbone, destroying the railway ferry Conro Trader<\/em> in the Kerch Strait \u2014 a key route for fuel and ammunition deliveries to occupied Crimea.<\/p>\n More recent strikes in 2025\u20132026 have further eroded Russia\u2019s capabilities, including attacks on missile ships, landing craft, and even a modern \u201cVarshavyanka\u201d-class submarine. A large-scale drone assault on Novorossiysk \u2014 now the fleet\u2019s main base after its relocation from Crimea \u2014 sank the minesweeper Valentin Pikul<\/em> and damaged additional anti-submarine vessels.<\/p>\n According to Ukraine\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ukraine\u2019s Defense Forces have inflicted unprecedented damage on Russia\u2019s naval power in …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":1350270,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,49,36418,36415],"tags":[78,72923],"sources":[],"class_list":["post-1350266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-news-en","category-11473-news-en-2","category-11473-news-en","tag-homepage-en","tag-frontline-update"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n