Is the Russian fleet abandoning Crimea? Ukraine claims to have reduced Black Sea cruise missile threat to one 'loser' ship
With Ukraine thought to be plotting how to destroy the crucial Kerch bridge linking Russia and Crimea, questions are being asked about the once-vaunted Russian navy losing control of the Black Sea.
Tuesday 2 April 2024 14:01, UK
Russia's Black Sea fleet has almost abandoned Crimea, leaving just one "loser" warship capable of firing cruise missiles,聽Ukraine says.
Kyiv's forces claim to have sunk a third of Russia's warships in just over two years of war, in a heavy blow to Moscow's military capability.
Ukraine does not have a traditional navy - its ships were largely captured during the annexation of Crimea - but its fleet of drone boats has been wreaking havoc.
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Ukrainian navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk told local media that all Russian warships capable of firing cruise missiles have been relocated - "except for one loser who has not fired a single missile yet".
"There is, of course, some stock of ships remaining, but the most valuable assets are all removed," he added.
"Our ultimate goal is complete absence of military ships of the so-called Russian Federation in the Azov and Black Sea regions," he said previously.
Successful Ukrainian drone and missile strikes have provided a major morale boost for Kyiv at a time when its undermanned and outgunned forces are facing Russian attacks along more than 600 miles of frontline and in places are being pushed back.
Last month, Ukraine said it hit two large landing ships at the Crimean port of Sevastopol in what Grant Shapps, the UK defence secretary, called a "historic moment".
He added: "In plain English, it means that Putin can no longer exercise safely in the Black Sea, even though the Russian fleet has operated there since 1873."
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Meanwhile, a former US commander argues that Ukraine is taking control of the Black Sea and that the siege of Crimea has begun.
Speaking on the Silicon Curtain YouTube channel, retired lieutenant general Ben Hodges spoke about the departure of the Russian fleet from around Crimea.
He said: "Why aren't they fighting like crazy in the Black Sea to regain control over the water that they've lost? Because they can't."
He also argued that Ukraine likely has a plan to destroy the Kerch bridge - which links Russia and Crimea - when the time is right.