[Jimbuna]

Russia left with one 'loser' vessel in Black Sea after Ukraine wipes out Moscow fleet

Russia has removed the majority of vessels capable of firing cruise missiles from Crimea after suffering considerable losses amid continued attacks from Ukraine, Kyiv's navy has claimed.

Captain Dmytro Pletenchuk told national media that Moscow authorised the removal of most of its remaining fleet except one "loser" vessel. Capt Pletenchuk said: "Most of the combat units, if you take the carriers of cruise missiles, actually all relocated, except for one."

He reported that Russia's Cyclone warship remains stationed in Ukraine but dismissed its capabilities as he noted it "still has not launched a single missile".

While Ukraine's naval capabilities are numerically inferior compared with Russia's, Kyiv has carried out frequent missile and naval drone attacks on Russia's fleet - delivering heavy blows to the Russian navy despite the difficulties advancing into occupied territories in recent months.

Russian media announced the Cyclone, a Karakurt-class corvette, joined the Black Sea fleet in Crimea in the summer of 2023.

The move came as Ukraine started to intensify its attacks on the fleet, which has since allegedly lost a third of its warships in a heavy blow to Moscow's naval capability.

Capt Pletenchuck last week said the Ukrainian navy destroyed the amphibious landing ship Kostiantyn Olshansky, which was resting in dock in Sevastopol.

The ship was part of the Ukrainian navy before Russia captured it while annexing the Black Sea peninsula in 2014.

Capt Pletenchuk previously announced that two other landing ships of the same type, Azov and Yamal, also were damaged in Saturday's strike, along with the Ivan Khurs intelligence ship.

Challenging Russia's naval superiority has helped create more favourable conditions for Ukrainian grain exports and other shipments from the country's Black Sea ports.

Moscow officials have not addressed most of Ukraine's claims. However, previous navy losses have been confirmed by Russian military bloggers and media, who have harshly criticised the military brass for its slow and sloppy response to the threat.

Last month, Russian media reported that the navy chief, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, had been fired and replaced with Adml Alexander Moiseyev, the commander of Russia's Northern Fleet.

The Kremlin has not yet announced the reshuffle, but in mid-March Adml Moiseyev was presented as the new acting navy chief during a ceremony at a Russian naval base.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...b16a7ab9&ei=20