UK intelligence analyzes activity of Russian Black Sea Fleet after commander’s replacement

This is reported by the UK Defenсe Ministry.

On April 1, 2024, the Grigorovich guided-missile frigate carried out weapons handling activities at a base in the port of Novorossiysk. Modern Russian warships, such as the Grigorovich frigate, have vertical launch systems to fire cruise missiles at sea and land targets. Such missiles have historically been reloaded in Sevastopol.

However, Russia has largely withdrawn its Black Sea Fleet ships and submarines from Sevastopol further east to Novorossiysk. After the removal of the Black Sea Fleet Commander in March 2024, the fleet was the least active since the beginning of the war.

“Whilst the BSF almost certainly remains alongsideNovorossiysk as its best method of avoiding Ukrainiansea-borne attack, its maintenance, logistics and weapons-handling infrastructure at Novorossiysk has highly likely been improved to support the new basing arrangements indefinitely,” the intelligence said.

• Recently, the Russian media reported on the change of the commander of the Russian Navy, namely the dismissal of Yevmenov. The Kremlin refused to comment.