Russian Black Sea Fleet deploys significant combat vessels in Novorossiysk - Ukraine's Navy

The Russian Black Sea Fleet has concentrated its major combat assets in Novorossiysk, but it lacks space for all warships, so some remain in Crimea

This was announced by the spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy Dmytro Pletenchuk at a briefing at the Ukraine Media Centre - Ukrinform. 

"In fact, they have concentrated all significant serious combat units in Novorossiysk. Taking advantage of the fact that Ukraine is complying with international requirements in terms of compliance with international protocols and international maritime law, they are now actually in its territorial waters. There are still assets in Crimea that are either being repaired, which is at least 15 units, or have no place to be put in Novorossiysk," he said. 

Pletenchuk also noted that the Russian forces again used submarines to launch cruise missiles, but their submarine fleet is now at the basing point, and the passage from the harbour is closed.

"The operation of other ports like Sochi and Tuapse is complicated by the fact that there is not enough infrastructure to protect these ships, so they still accumulate them in Novorossiysk. The use of the base in Abkhazia also does not have the result they claim in their media, because it is a small base, and only the FSB coast guard is based there. After all, larger warships cannot manoeuvre there. Therefore, we can say that the status quo remains. The only thing we can see from the new tactics of the new leadership of the Black Sea Fleet of the so-called Russian Federation is an increase in the use of the aviation component in terms of patrolling," the spokesman explained.