Last Wednesday, Ukraine attacked the port of Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula, where the Russian Navy has stationed part of its Black Sea Fleet. A landing ship and a submarine were hit and, according to British intelligence, put out of action for the long term.
A report released Friday by the Ministry of Defense in London said the landing ship Minsk and the submarine Rostov were in the port’s dry dock and undergoing repairs at the time of the attack. Russia tried to play down the damage, but “open sources” suggested “that Minsk was almost certainly functionally destroyed and that Rostov probably suffered catastrophic damage.”
The restoration of the submarine will therefore probably take “many years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars”, according to the intelligence service in London. “There is a realistic possibility that the complex task of removing the wreckage from the dry docks will put them out of action for many months,” the Ministry of Defense in London said on X (formerly Twitter).
This circumstance would pose “a significant challenge in maintaining the fleet” for the Russian Black Sea Fleet (BSF), the report said. The loss of the Rostov would also mean the loss of one of the Black Sea Fleet’s four cruise missile-capable submarines. These played an important role in the attacks on Ukraine and are of great importance to Russia as a military power in the region.
Twelve new Russian warships this year
As Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced, the Russian Navy will receive twelve new ships by the end of the year. She has already received two, state news agency RIA quotes the minister. However, in total this is less than President Vladimir Putin announced in July. At the time, he said the Navy should have 30 ships by the end of 2023.
Since the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine in February 2022, the British Ministry of Defense has published up-to-date information about the progress of the war on a daily basis. Moscow accuses London of disinformation.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
