Who is Sergey Pinchuk, new commander of Russian Black Sea Fleet ?

The newly appointed leader is Sergey Pinchuk, a native of Sevastopol and a staunch Russian nationalist. He is tasked with ensuring the more effective operation of the hostile fleet, directly involved in military aggression against Ukraine and the destruction of our cities and critical infrastructure.

Here are 8 facts about the military criminal who received a promotion.

Must save the remains of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the Black Sea

Pinchuk's predecessor, Viktor Sokolov, was retired amid successful attacks by our Defense Forces on the Russian fleet in Crimea.

“According to the Ukrainian military, in March, the patrol ship Sergei Kotov sank, and the large landing ships Yamal, Azov, and the reconnaissance ship Ivan Khurs were damaged. On March 24, the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Ukrainian Defense Forces had hit a communications center and several infrastructure facilities of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.”

Also last month, the Ukrainian Defense Forces attacked the landing ship Konstantin Olshansky with Neptune missiles, which is a Ukrainian vessel that the Russians seized 10 years ago during the annexation of Crimea. And although the Russian authorities have never commented publicly on Russian losses in the Black Sea, they have been enormous - minus 26 ships since the start of the full-scale invasion. A country without a navy has conquered a country where the boast of a navy in Sevastopol has become part of the imperialist myth. 

"Sevastopol is ours"

The appointment of Sergey Pinchuk as a local figure is not coincidental. Born in Sevastopol to the family of a rear admiral and deputy of the former commander of the Baltic Fleet, Mikhail Pinchuk, he graduated from the Black Sea Higher Naval School named after Nakhimov. During the preparations for the attack on Ukraine by Putin in October 2021, he was appointed as the first deputy commander of the Black Sea Fleet. Since then, the Russian Black Sea Fleet has significantly strengthened its mine-clearing capabilities.

Dancing on the water with "Kalibrs"

Pinchuk is a non-public person. The first mention of him dates back to 2016. On Navy Day, the Caspian Flotilla, which Pinchuk commanded at the time, organized a magnificent performance for the residents of Astrakhan - a parade of warships. The small missile ship Grad Sviyazhsk took part in the parade. It was this ship that, as part of the Caspian Flotilla's strike core, launched Kalibr cruise missiles at ISIS in Syria in the fall of 2015. It was Pinchuk's idea to show this to the townspeople.

War hero in Syria

Sergey Pinchuk was directly involved in the Russian aggression in Syria. He has a medal "Participant of the military operation in Syria", as do many top criminals.

Sanctions for the attack on Ukraine

Sergey Pinchuk is directly responsible for the attack on Ukraine from Crimea. He first appeared on Canada's sanctions lists against "close associates of the regime" and for supporting Putin's actions to "attack a peaceful and sovereign state" on March 14, 2022. Later, he was included in the sanctions lists of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia. 

What are Russia's Black Sea Fleet's problems?

The Russian military notes that accurate strikes by Ukrainian Defense Forces have become a big problem for the occupiers' fleet in the Black Sea. Radar stations do not see Ukrainian naval kamikaze drones approaching their targets. The Russians are wondering what systems are needed to detect Ukrainian weapons of this nature in time.

Pinchuk will work with the new head of the Russian Navy, Alexander Moiseyev. He is dubbed as the "NATO's threat."

On April 2, 2024, Shoigu appointed Alexander Moiseev as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy. He is an experienced submarine officer.

“From 2018 to 2019, he was in charge of the Black Sea Fleet, which means that he was also preparing enemy forces for a full-scale invasion. In 2019, Moiseev was sent to head the Northern Fleet, where he gained fame as a man with "extensive experience in countering NATO."

If you look at the archival news, in the early 90s of the last century, Moiseyev served on nuclear submarines in the North Sea. In 1994, as part of an expedition, he hung the Russian and St. Andrew's flags at the North Pole. He was awarded a gold star for this expedition and for marking neutral territory with Russian symbols. 

“Moiseyev has been highly respected by Dmitry Medvedev since his presidency. In 2011, he awarded him the title of Hero of Russia for testing the latest weapons as commander of a strategic submarine formation.”

Shoigu and Putin pin their hopes on Moiseyev and Pinchuk

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu are confident that the dual appointment of two experienced and ruthless war criminals will improve the situation in the Black Sea.

“Firstly, the Russian authorities are confident that these two top officers are well acquainted with the Black Sea and will therefore devise strategies to combat maritime drones and Storm Shadow missiles. Additionally, they will intimidate hesitant NATO neighbors with "state-of-the-art weaponry" and creative ideas.”

"You realize the enormous responsibility that falls on your shoulders. And I hope that you will cope with the tasks set before you by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, the Russian Ministry of Defense and, of course, the country," said Sergei Shoigu after he named the new fleet commanders. These are words of despair rather than a firm belief in victory.

Should we be afraid of the appointment of two butchers to the Black Sea Fleet? Obviously, no - these are not the first and not the last "heroes" of Syria, Georgia, and the two Chechen wars to be promoted in the hope of repeating their practices in Ukraine. 

The Russian authorities are silent about the accurate strikes on the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, and do not comment on the unexpected damage to warships.

The appointment of a native of Sevastopol to a high military position could be a double-edged game. In the event of victory, Sergey Pinchuk will be hailed as a hero of Russia, but in case of further successful strikes by the defense forces, no one will hesitate to label him as an agent of Ukraine.

Specially for Espreso

About the author: Marina Daniluk-Yarmolaeva, journalist

The editors do not always share the opinions expressed by the authors of blogs.