Ellie Cook
Russia is upgrading its Black Sea fleet with additional weapons, according to Moscow, in an attempt to thwart Ukraine's success in using naval drones against its prized assets around the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu "ordered the installation of additional fire weapons, large-caliber machine-gun rifle systems to destroy enemy drones," the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday. The guns will be deployed on Black Sea fleet vessels, reported Russian state news agency.
Russia has taken bruising losses to its Black Sea fleet at Ukraine's hands since February 2022, when the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion. Moscow has controlled Crimea since annexing the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014, but Kyiv has vowed to recapture it.
Ukraine has enjoyed far more success in striking Russia in the Black Sea than in its land operations as Moscow continues to make gains westwards along the front line. But Kyiv's military, despite only having a small navy, has used home-grown MAGURA V5 uncrewed naval vessels in a string of dramatic strikes on the Black Sea fleet, taking out a slew of ships in the past few months.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on June 22, 2023, in Moscow. Shoigu "ordered the installation of additional fire weapons, large-caliber machine-gun rifle systems to destroy enemy drones," the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday.
Ukrainian naval drones destroyed Russia's missile-armed corvette Ivanovets in February. Later that month, Kyiv said it targeted the Caesar Kunikov, a large landing ship, with uncrewed surface vehicles, and earlier in March, Ukraine posted footage appearing to show MAGURA V5 drones striking the Sergei Kotov, one of Russia's four Project 22160 patrol ships.
Russia has struggled to fend off Ukraine's frequent drone assaults with kamikaze uncrewed vehicles. The new firepower will help "increase the survivability of ships and vessels" alongside new training programs "both during the day and at night to repel enemy terrorist attacks," Moscow said on Sunday.
"Every day it is necessary to conduct training with personnel," Shoigu said, according to a Russian government statement. "Training to repel air attacks and attacks by unmanned boats. Conduct day and night so that all our crews are ready."
Britain's Defense Minister Grant Shapps said in December that the Kremlin had lost 20 percent of its Black Sea fleet in the previous four months, adding: "Russia's dominance in the Black Sea is now challenged."
The Kremlin has relocated some of its Black Sea assets from Crimea to its Novorossiysk base in Russia's Krasnodar region, further from Ukraine's coastline. Moscow is also thought to be establishing another base in Abkhazia, a breakaway region internationally recognized as part of Georgia. This would move Russia's resources even further away from Ukraine's reach.
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