According to the spokesman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Dmytro Pletenchuk, after a series of successful attacks by Ukrainian surface drones and missiles, ships of the Black Sea Fleet of the occupation army of the Russian Federation should have stopped entering the Black Sea.
Points of attention
- Ukrainian surface drones and missiles have forced ships of the Black Sea Fleet to refrain from entering the Black Sea, creating a tense situation in the region.
- The presence of the 'Hetman Ivan Mazepa' corvette in the Ukrainian Navy poses a new threat to the occupants, as it is equipped to perform various combat tasks and modernized with Ukrainian combat experience in mind.
- The Black Sea has become a 'grey zone' with more than 25,000 square kilometers where neither side can fully establish dominance, leading to a cautious approach by Russian ships.
- The strategy of using ferries for cargo transportation instead of risking traditional warships highlights the reluctance of the Black Sea Fleet to engage in open waters.
- Russian submarines in the Black Sea employ tactics like semi-submerged states during loading in ports to protect themselves, but still face challenges from Ukrainian defense measures and advanced counter-submarine technologies.
Ships of the Black Sea Fleet no longer dare to enter the Black Sea
After the loss of several VDK, they focused on the use of ferries for cargo transportation. That is, criminals traditionally hide behind the backs of civilians. There is no mention of ships entering the northwestern part of the Black Sea at all. Those ships that are not carriers of cruise missiles are not currently involved in actions at sea, because for this they need to enter the zone of damage of our means. They did not understand it immediately, but the stage of acceptance has come, Pletenchuk emphasizes.
He emphasized that currently enemy warships practically do not go to sea.
There is literally one submarine of the occupation army of the Russian Federation in the Black Sea.
The Russians have understood their place and practically do not go to sea. They conducted some training in Azov, but then quickly returned to Novorossiysk. Only a submarine remains in the Black Sea, but it is presence for presence's sake. All other ships are still at the base points, and when it starts to fly there, they quickly go to the outer raid, run like cockroaches, so as not to get caught. This is the mode in which they exist - emphasizes the spokesman of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
According to him, enemy submarines also cannot stay at depth all the time and must return to their base points.
To protect themselves from attacks, the Russians even developed some know-how - during loading in ports, submarines are kept in a semi-submerged state, so that only the gangway is visible on the surface, Pletenchuk explains.
He also added that the world currently has the means to effectively counter submarines.
Moreover, in the Black Sea, it is not something extraordinary, but the diesel-electric "Varshavyanka" that has arrived. In Moscow, of course, they say that these boats of the 636 project are some kind of super inconspicuous, but countering them is a matter of the availability of technical equipment, - notes the spokesman of the Armed Forces Navy.
Pletenchuk emphasized that currently 25 thousand square kilometers of the Black Sea is a "gray zone" in which no one can fully establish and dominate.
There, we stand under the blows of the Rashist aircraft, and they - under our weapons systems. Of course, for us, near Odessa, the Black Sea, the water area is safer than somewhere in the open sea closer to the Crimea. However, the exit from the ports of Kherson and Mykolaiv is extremely dangerous, because in the Dnipro-Buzka estuary you can get fire damage. The Rashists can also fire from the Kinburn Spit. Even ATGMs can be used there, because the distance allows it. Therefore, it is not for nothing that more than 6 dozen civilian vessels have been blocked since the beginning of the full scale, - explains Pletenchuk.
At the same time, as Pletenchuk emphasized, almost the entire Black Sea water area can be considered a "dead" zone for the occupiers.
If earlier the invaders allowed themselves to enter its western or northwestern part, now it is not even dangerous for them in the central part. Yes, and near the Crimea, and in the area of the Kerch Strait as well. Wherever "Neptune" or a naval drone can reach, death is for them, added the spokesman of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
What is known about the appearance of the "Hetman Ivan Mazepa" corvette in the ranks of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
In a comment to the journalists of Suspilne Krym, Pletenchuk noted that by the end of this year, the Hetman Ivan Mazepa corvette should appear in the Navy of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which will perform a number of combat tasks.
This is a combat unit that can perform various tasks - protection of the water area, coastal waters, combating surface ships, reconnaissance, anti-aircraft cover, - explains the spokesman of the Armed Forces Navy.
He also added that the corvette was modernized several times directly during construction, taking into account Ukrainian combat experience.
Therefore, some structural changes were made to this corvette. Now the crew is undergoing training, this process is very long, Pletenchuk emphasizes.
"Hetman Ivan Mazepa" (board number F211) is an Ada-class anti-submarine corvette built by Trutsia for Ukraine. It should replace the Hetman Sahaidachny frigate as the flagship of the Navy.
Corvette was laid down in September 2021. In October 2022, a corvette launching ceremony was held at the shipyard in Istanbul.
It is assumed that the ship will be equipped with a missile complex "Harpoon" or NSM. It was previously confirmed that it will be equipped with MICA VL short-range anti-aircraft missile launchers.
Anti-submarine weapons will be represented by hydroacoustic stations, two torpedo tubes and two anti-torpedo defense bombers. Artillery armament - 76-mm gun and two modules for 12.7-mm machine guns.
