Russia pulls last patrol vessel from Crimea amid intensified attacks
The spokesperson for the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Capt. Dmytro Pletenczuk, announced via social media that Russia has withdrawn its last patrol vessel from Crimea. According to him, this happened on the morning of 15 July. The Ukrainian service Militarny points out that "there are currently no Russian vessels in the Black Sea."
The Russians are apparently trying to protect the ships that remain in the Black Sea Fleet's inventory by moving them away from potential attack sites. The Militarny service notes that according to data from the Ukrainian Navy, defenders have so far managed to destroy about one-third of the units belonging to the Black Sea Fleet. Many of them fell victim to Magura V5 drone attacks and Ukrainian RK-360 Neptun missiles.
Is the Black Sea Fleet fearful for its ships?
The Russian Black Sea Fleet has not had a good run lately. The Ukrainians have not missed opportunities to attack ships off the coast of Crimea, and at the same time, the Russian Navy itself is dealing with internal problems. This was noted, among others, by Vladislav Shurygin. In a post placed in March of this year on the Telegram channel, the Russian military expert mentioned continuous modifications to existing projects leading to further delays and that naval leadership was incapable of properly assessing the situation and making necessary decisions. At the same time, the then UK Minister of Defence reported on platform X that the Black Sea Fleet is currently functionally inactive.
The Militarny service reminds that earlier decisions to withdraw Russian ships from Crimea were related to concerns about further drone attacks, mainly the Magura V5. According to analysts from the "Political Science and Security Studies Journal," these devices have attacked a total of 14 vessels since the beginning of the conflict, of which eight were destroyed by them.
The Magura V5 was designed to perform a variety of missions, including observation, surveillance, and combat strikes. Its effectiveness is influenced by its high manoeuvrability and the ability to operate remotely. The drone, over 5 meters long, can travel up to 77 km/h. Its range is estimated at about 834 km, and its maximum payload capacity is 320 kg.
Threats to Russian vessels
Another threat facing the Black Sea Fleet's vessels is the RK-360 Neptun missiles, developed by the Ukrainian design bureau Luch. This is a fairly versatile weapon, designed to destroy large warships, including aircraft carriers and landing ships. Its operation is facilitated by Neptuns being launched from ground launchers, ship decks, or air platforms.
The missile weighs 870 kg (with the warhead alone weighing 150 kg), and its range is estimated at 280 km. The Neptun can travel up to 900 km/h and manoeuvre to evade the enemy's anti-missile defences.
