War in Ukraine: Russia moves warships out of Crimea as Ukrainian strikes continue

The Russian military has transferred several Black Sea Fleet vessels from the Crimean port of Sevastopol to the port of Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Krai, likely in an effort to protect them from continued Ukrainian strikes on Russian assets in occupied Crimea.

According to the Institute for the Study of War, satellite imagery shows that Russian forces have transferred at least 10 vessels from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk, including three diesel submarines, five landing ships, and several small missile ships.

Ukrainian officials say that the sea battlefront line has been pushed back at least 185 km from Ukraine’s coast since Russia’s full-scale invasion began.

Natalia Humeniuk, head of Ukraine’s southern military command’s press centre, said that Russian vessels from the Black Sea Fleet are no longer sailing towards Ukraine’s territorial waters now and while appearing near the Crimean coast, “do not go beyond Cape Tarkhankut.“

At the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February, Russian ships approached Ukraine’s Odesa region within artillery strike range.

By the end of September, the UK defence ministry said that the Russian Black Sea Fleet had suffered a series of major attacks – more damaging and more coordinated than thus far in the war.

A dynamic, deep-strike battle is underway in the Black Sea. This is likely forcing Russia into a reactive posture whilst demonstrating that Ukraine’s military can undermine the Kremlin’s symbolic and strategic power projection from its warm water port in occupied Sevastopol.