Summary and Key Points: While much of the focus in the war in Ukraine has been on ground and air operations, the naval conflict in the Black Sea has exposed significant weaknesses in the Russian Navy.

-Ukrainian forces, despite lacking a credible naval force, have used a combination of cruise and ballistic missiles, anti-ship missiles, unmanned maritime systems, and suicide boats to damage or destroy 28 Russian vessels between February 2022 and June 2024.

-Key losses for Russia include the flagship MoPasteskva cruiser and several other warships and submarines. This success has forced the Russian Navy to retreat to safer ports, highlighting Ukraine's ingenuity and resilience in naval warfare.

The Silent Battle: Ukraine’s Naval Operations Against the Russian Navy

One of the least talked about aspects of the war in Ukraine has been naval operations. Although most of the focus has been on ground and air operations, the fighting on the Black Sea has laid bare the weaknesses of the Russian Navy.

Exposed and Vulnerable

“Open-source reporting has highlighted that Ukrainian forces have damaged or destroyed 26 Russian Navy vessels operating in the Black Sea region between February 2022 and June 2024,” the British Military Intelligence assessed in its latest estimate of the war.

The Ukrainian forces have landed strikes on Russian warships, submarines, and support vessels all across the northern Black Sea and within the Sea of Azov, a body of water of separating eastern Ukraine and Russia.

“There has been an increase in the frequency and level of damage caused by attacks around the Crimean Peninsula over the last year, with nearly two thirds of strikes occurring within this period,” the British Military Intelligence added.

The Crimean Peninsula is a key strategic piece of land as it guards the southern approaches to Russia. That is the reason behind the Kremlin’s rush to invade and illegally annex Crimea back in 2014. A decade later, the Russian military has turned the Peninsula into a stronghold, installing sophisticated air defense weapons and sensors, garrisoning hundreds of thousands of troops, and operating naval bases.

What is truly remarkable about the battering of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea is that the Ukrainian military doesn’t have a credible naval force. Indeed, Kyiv can’t field any major surface combatants or submarines. Instead, the Ukrainian Navy is limited to small patrol boats. Nevertheless, the Ukrainians have shown enviable creativity, using a combination of cruise and ballistic missiles, anti-ship missiles, unmanned maritime systems, and suicide boats to take the fight to the Russian Navy and inflict it the heaviest casualties since the end of World War Two.

Thus far, the Ukrainian forces have managed to sink, destroy, or serious damage as many as 28 warships, submarines, and support vessels. Prominent in the casualty list is the Moskva guided-missile heavy cruiser and flagship of the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet that was sunk by a salvo of Ukrainian anti-ship missiles back in April 2022. Other noteworthy Russian naval losses are the Minsk submarine, which was destroyed while it lay in its shipyard, the Novocherkassk landing ship, the Ivanovets corvette, and the Saratov landing ship.

As a result of the precise and persistent Ukrainian anti-ship operations the Russian Navy has withdraw most of its naval assets into the safety of port, with only periodic missions in the Black Sea. Submarines continue to be active in the long-range missile campaign against Ukrainian urban centers and critical infrastructure, but they enjoy the safety of being underwater.

As with many other aspects of the Russian armed forces, the war in Ukraine has exposed that when it comes to near-peer conflict with the United States, the conventional capabilities of the Russian military are seriously lacking.

About the Author 

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

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