The Black Sea Fleet was “anchored” after the loss of two more ships in a month

Russian warships have not been on combat duty in the Black Sea for the fifth day after the loss of the corvette Sergei Kotov, DW reports, citing the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

According to the Ukrainian military, there was not a single Russian Navy ship in the Black Sea on Sunday morning, while three Russian warships are in the Mediterranean Sea, and another in the Azov Sea. The day before, the press service of the command of the Defense Forces of southern Ukraine stated that Russian missile carriers had been at their bases for 20 days in a row.

On the night of March 4-5, special forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine destroyed the newest patrol ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Sergei Kotov. This ship was launched in January 2021 and became part of the Black Sea Fleet in July 2022. Its crew is 80 people. The vessel can be equipped with modular tactical strike container weapons, in particular the Caliber missiles and the Kh-35U Uran anti-ship missiles.

In total, over two years of war, Russia has already lost more than 20 ships, including landing ships, submarines and the flagship cruiser Moskva, according to Oryx data obtained from open sources.

According to the calculations of Novaya Gazeta military expert Valery Shiryaev, taking into account Sergei Kotov, the Black Sea Fleet specifically lost at least 15 ships. Before the full-scale invasion, it consisted of 74 warships. Among the latest major losses are the large landing ships Novocherkassk and Tsezar Kunikov, and the missile boat Ivanovets. The day after the sinking of the Caesar Kunikov, the commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Viktor
Sokolov, was removed from his post.