Russia's Black Sea submarine deployment sparks fears of new missile strike on Ukraine
In an unprecedented move, Russia has deployed three submarines armed with cruise missiles into the sea, according to Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmitriy Pletenchuk. This deployment encompasses practically all naval power Russia holds in the Azov-Black Sea region. While the Black Sea fleet has long been termed underwater,' it no longer poses a significant threat to Ukraine.
Amidst ongoing aggression, Russian forces continue their campaign of terror against Ukrainian urban centers, now leveraging their marine capabilities. Pletenchuk shared that Russia has positioned three submarines simultaneously, a strategic move unseen in recent times. These submarines, each armed with cruise missiles, regularly strike Ukrainian territories. Together, these subs can launch a volley of twelve Kalibr missiles.
"This essentially represents all that they have in the Azov-Black Sea region," Pletenchuk stated. "They are now truly the 'submarine' fleet."
In a televised news marathon, the Navy spokesperson remarked that Russia struggles to patrol the waters around the Crimean Bridge with naval forces alone. The official pointed out that, to compensate, they are narrowing the passage to simplify aerial patrol tasks, focusing on anti-drone operations predominantly carried out from the air.
"The situation indicates their inability to patrol all waters around this bridge with ships alone. They are compelled to restrict the passage to ease aviation efforts that now substitute marine task forces in patrolling and anti-drone operations," Pletenchuk explained.
On July 23rd, it was reported that the Navy had discussed the issues facing the Russian Black Sea fleet. Command representative Pletenchuk speculated that Russian forces might still be entangled with classified documents and unrealized instructions. He suggested their current ship refuges might only provide a temporary solution.