Russia is being forced to change its strategy in Crimea as Ukraine carries on with its effective strikes against the Black Sea Fleet, a retired navy officer said.
Retired US Navy Vice-Admiral Robert Murrett told Newsweek: “Ukraine has largely won the battle of the Black Sea.”
According to the expert, the Kremlin has been forced to expand its port infrastructure in the Black Sea towards the east after existing facilities on the occupied Crimean coast, particularly those in Sevastopol, have become vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks.
His remarks came as Ukraine claimed to have sunk yet another Russian warship – the Sergei Kotov, located near the Kerch Strait.
The strike against the military vessel was carried out on March 5 using naval drones, Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) said.
The Sergei Kotov, the agency went on to claim, suffered damage to the stern, right and left sides, before sinking.
The sinking of this vessel resulted in the drowning of seven Russian sailors and the injury of six more, the HUR also claimed.
Since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago, Kyiv has claimed to have destroyed or damaged at least two dozen Russian ships.
The first major blow dealt by Ukraine to the Russian Black Sea Fleet came just weeks into the war. On April 14 2022, the missile cruiser Moskva was hit by two R-360 Neptune anti-ship missiles.
Among other Russian vessels Ukraine claims to have damaged or destroyed are the rescue tug Vasily Bekh, the submarine Rostov-on-Don and the Novocherkassk, a major Russian landing ship.
Moreover, Ukraine hit in September last year the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol. Three months later, Kyiv said to have carried out an air strike on the port town of Feodosia in Crimea.
Following this latest attack, UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said 20 percent of the Black Sea Fleet had been destroyed by Kyiv in just four months.
Ukraine has said multiple times that wants to get back not just the territories occupied by Russia in February 2022 but also the Crimean peninsula, illegally annexed by Moscow 10 years ago.
While Kyiv is demonstrating superiority in the Black Sea, its armed forces on land are currently suffering against Russian troops. Last month, after defending the city for several weeks, Ukrainian forces had to withdraw from Avdiivka, on the eastern frontline.
