Russia withdraws Black Sea Fleet after Storm Shadow strikes
Russia has withdrawn the bulk of its Black Sea Fleet from Sevastopol because of Storm Shadow missile strikes on the Crimean port.
Satellite imagery shows at least 10 vessels have been moved to the Russian port of Novorossiysk, including the Admiral Makarov and Admiral Essen frigates, all three Kilo-class attack submarines and a patrol ship.
A landing ship, missile ships and minesweepers have also been moved to Feodosia in eastern Crimea, according to The Wall Street Journal.
It comes amid reports Russia intends to establish a naval base on the Black Sea coast of Abkhazia, a separatist region of Georgia.
Ukraine has used long-range Storm Shadow missiles, supplied by Britain, to devastating effect on targets around Sevastopol as it intensifies its campaign on the annexed peninsula.
It struck the Black Sea Fleet’s headquarters last month, reportedly wounding two Russian commanders and killing dozens of officers. Crimean authorities were later forced to bring down the building via controlled explosion.
Just days earlier, a strike on Sevastopol’s dock caused “catastrophic damage” to the Rostov Kilo-class submarine and “functionally destroyed” the Minsk landing ship, according to British intelligence.
The Ministry of Defence believes Russia’s ability to blockade Ukraine has been weakened by attacks on its fleet, although it is still capable of launching cruise missile attacks.
Volodymyr Zelensky indicated he wanted to discuss Russia’s presence along its coastline as he arrived in Granada, Spain for a summit with European leaders.
Speaking at the summit, Mr Zelensky said Russia will be able to restore its military potential by 2028 if the West doesn’t help Ukraine finish the job.
“If Russia is allowed to adapt now by 2028 the Kremlin will be able to restore the military potential that we destroyed and it will have enough to attack the countries in focus of Russian expansion,” he said.
Moscow has used its naval superiority to throttle Ukrainian exports since withdrawing from the UN-brokered Black Sea deal in July.
In response, Kyiv has established a new corridor through Nato-controlled waters. A cargo ship carrying Ukrainian grain left the port of Chornomorsk in September - the first to do so since Russia began its de facto blockade.
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian navy claimed that a dozen civilian vessels were ready to travel to its ports and another 10 were preparing to leave.
However, declassified British intelligence indicates Russia may be laying sea mines in the Black Sea to destroy cargo ships heading to and from Ukrainian ports.
The Foreign Office said Moscow wanted to damage Ukraine’s economy by halting its grain exports, but would seek to blame the sinking of any civilian vessels on its western neighbour.
It has previously warned the Black Sea Fleet fired cruise missiles on a Liberian-flagged cargo ship in August, which were intercepted by Ukraine’s air defences.
Russia has also sought to pressure Ukrainian ports by attacking infrastructure with drones and missiles, targeting the southern Odesa and Mykolaiv regions on Wednesday night.
The Foreign Office estimates Moscow has damaged 130 port facilities and destroyed 300,000 tonnes of grain since withdrawing from the Black Sea deal.
Senior figures in Kyiv have claimed that, in addition to damaging Ukraine’s economy, Russia wants to cause global food shortages and provoke a wave of refugees to weaken the West.
