Ukraine’s Naval Triumph
Russian commanders are struggling to devise effective strategies to counter the exceptional tactics displayed by the Ukrainian forces
Hours before the Wednesday sun leapt into the sky, Ukraine launched ten cruise missiles and three drones at Sevastopol, the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in Crimea. The attack damaged Rostov-on-Don, Russia’s Kilo-class attack submarine, and the Minsk, a Ropucha-class landing ship that had been berthed in the dry dock.
Just two days prior to the Wednesday assault, Ukraine successfully expelled Russian troops from an offshore platform known as the Boyko Towers in the Western Black Sea. This platform had been used by Russia as a forward operating base, equipped with surveillance capabilities, expanding its operational reach into the Western Black Sea. And two weeks before the oil rig was cleared of unwanted occupiers, Ukraine destroyed an S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile system in Cape Tarkhankut, Crimea.
“The S-400 and its attached Podlet K1 radar could detect and strike aircraft and missiles 200 miles away, allowing it to control the entire western Black Sea as far west as the port of Odessa in southern Ukraine.”
One day after dismantling the S-400, Ukraine’s elite special forces executed a daring landing operation on Cape Tarkhankut and clashed with Russian troops in Olenivka and Mayak.
Mayak is home to the 3rd Radio Engineering Regiment of the Russian Aerospace Forces, which operates an extensive array of Russian air-defense systems. Ukraine’s Intelligence Services, led by Russia’s prominent adversary, Kirill Budanov, announced the success of the operation on its Telegram channel: “Entering by small boat, they landed on the shore, engaged Russian forces in combat, neutralized troops, disabled equipment, and planted the Ukrainian flag.”
The audacious raid on Cape Tarkhankut was not solely aimed at diminishing the Russian troop presence in Crimea or increasing the overall costs of the conflict for Russia, although both outcomes would have been advantageous. The primary strategic advantage for Ukraine lies in the shroud it has cast over any Russian surveillance of the Western Black Sea.
Ukraine’s actions since mid-August enabled it to launch the attack on Sevastopol. They eliminated the S-400 and air-defense systems protecting the skies in Crimea, all of which opened the path for Ukraine’s missiles to home in on Sevastopol.
“The Black Sea Fleet’s submarines are an important launch platform for Russian cruise missiles such as the 3M-14 Kalibr.” Russia had two to four submarines in the Black Sea. Ukraine damaged one of the crucial Kilo-class submarines in the region.
“Kilo-class submarines can launch cruise missiles out of their torpedo tubes for long-range attacks, and subs in the Black Sea have used this capability to target Ukraine throughout the war. They typically carry an array of up to 18 torpedoes or 24 naval mines but can also load a maximum of four Kalibr cruise missiles.”
Controlling the Black Sea plays a crucial role in Russia’s strategy to contain Ukraine. By blocking Ukraine from accessing the Black Sea to transport its cargo, Russia keeps Ukraine’s economy under strain. Without a navy, Ukraine has been powerless in confronting the Russian Black Sea fleet.
But step by step, with their willingness to acknowledge their limitations and utilize their creativity, Ukraine has eroded Russia’s ability to project power in the Black Sea.
“One of the signal successes of the Ukrainian armed forces has been denying the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s surface vessels the ability to operate in close proximity to Ukrainian shores. The successful attack on the fleet’s flagship, the Moskva, with indigenous Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles, and the subsequent Russian defeat at Snake Island denied the fleet the air cover it needed to operate within range of an increasingly credible Ukrainian anti-ship missile threat.”
After restricting the movement of surface vessels, Ukraine has damaged a $300 million Kilo-class submarine within the Black Sea fleet. These Russian submarines pose a significant dual threat to Ukraine.
- Firstly, submarines serve as a critical launch platform for Russian cruise missiles like the 3M-14 Kalibr, which have been consistently employed since the war’s onset to target various locations far beyond the frontline in Ukraine.
- Secondly, these submarines possess the capability to deploy sea mines, effectively controlling maritime traffic within the Black Sea.
Ukraine has disrupted the operations of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, creating a challenging situation for them with limited options. Notably, this trend began with the targeting of Russia’s flagship cruiser, Moskva, last year, and it has now extended to include the Kilo-class submarine, Rostov-on-Don. The diminishing Russian air cover and the continual expansion of Ukrainian missile capabilities and sea drones suggest that these attacks are likely to escalate in both frequency and intensity in the coming weeks.
