The Russian Black Sea Fleet is grappling with a severe crisis following the recent sinking of the Kilo-class submarine "Rostov-on-Don."
Trapped and Unable to Exit
According to Tech the loss of this submarine has left the remaining three Kilo-class submarines trapped in the Black Sea, significantly impacting Russia's naval capabilities in the region.
On August 3, Ukrainian forces struck the Sevastopol port, leading to the sinking of the "Rostov-on-Don."
The Russian military had intended to repair and return this submarine to service, but Ukrainian attacks thwarted these plans, resulting in its complete loss. The destruction of this submarine leaves only three Kilo-class submarines in the Black Sea Fleet: the B-265 "Krasnodar," B-268 "Veliky Novgorod," and K-271 "Kolpino."
However, these submarines are now trapped, unable to exit the Black Sea due to Turkey's blockade of the Bosporus Strait and the risk of Ukrainian attacks if they attempt to return to Sevastopol.
An Efective Strategy
General Waldemar Skrzypczak, a former commander of Polish land forces, commented on the situation, stating that the Black Sea Fleet has been "neutralized." He highlighted that Russian naval operations are no longer as effective as they were at the beginning of the conflict, and the Ukrainians have demonstrated precision in targeting and destroying naval assets.
Skrzypczak attributed Ukraine's success to both advanced tactics and Western-supplied weaponry, such as the Neptune coastal defense system, which covers all Black Sea Fleet ports.
The Ukrainian strategy of continuously moving military assets and employing decoys has proven effective against the Russian fleet. General Skrzypczak noted that Russia struggles to track Ukrainian movements due to their constant maneuvering and the use of realistic military decoys. This makes the Black Sea a challenging and perilous environment for Russian naval forces, potentially affecting their ability to project power in other regions, such as the Baltic Sea, where a confrontation with NATO could be even more difficult.
