Russian-Ukrainian Battle for the Black Sea

Stage 1: Protecting Odesa from the amphibious assault

After the start of the full-scale invasion, the prospects of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Black Sea looked extremely dim. Ukraine was left with virtually no navy, and Russian ships were blocking the approaches to Odesa, preparing to land.

In March, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched their first Tochka-U strike against the Russian fleet based in the port of Berdyansk, where Russian occupying forces were transporting equipment and soldiers to replenish the front in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. As a result, the large landing ship Saratov sank, and another, Novocherkassk, was heavily damaged.

Photo: The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine

However, this did not remove the threat from Odesa. But, unexpectedly, in April, Ukrainian soldiers managed to create the first naval miracle victory and sink the flagship Moskva with the help of domestic anti-ship cruise missiles Neptune. After that, the situation began to change rapidly. In May and June, the Ukrainian Armed Forces conducted a brilliant operation to de-occupy Zmiinyi Island.

Photo: Facebook page of the Ukrainian Navy

As a result of missile and drone strikes by Bayraktar, 7 boats and the rescue tugboat Vasyl Bekh were destroyed in the waters off Zmiinyi. The Ukrainian amphibious assault boat Stanislav sank in the fighting for Zmiinyi Island. On July 4, Ukraine regained control of Zmiinyi Island, thereby removing the threat of an amphibious landing near Odesa and expanding its influence in the air and sea area over the northwestern Black Sea.

Stage 2. The Sevastopol base is in the crosshairs

After that, the Russian Black Sea Fleet concentrated in the Sevastopol Bay to launch missile strikes against Ukraine.

Admiral Makarov frigate, photo: Russian Defense Ministry

October 29 was a turning point for the Russian troops’ safe stay in Sevastopol. Ukrainian UAVs, along with unmanned “kamikaze” boats, disabled the Ivan Golubets minesweeper and severely damaged two frigates, the Admiral Makarov and the Admiral Grigorovich. After that day, the Black Sea Fleet was forced to withdraw strategically important ships from Sevastopol and head for Novorossiysk. Instead, explosions in Sevastopol became a regular occurrence for Crimeans.

Stage 3. Those who did not hide... will go down

Meanwhile, Ukraine worked to improve the range and firepower of its drones, which were destined to revolutionize naval warfare. The result is the Mahura V5 drone, capable of sinking seemingly invulnerable Russian vessels. The new drone delivers a deadly 300-kilogram detonation over a distance of 800 kilometers at a speed of 77 km/h. 

The first successful test of this drone was the destruction of a Russian reconnaissance ship, the Ivan Khurs, in late May, 100 kilometers north of the Bosphorus Strait.

However, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) went even further and created the Sea Baby.

Photo: t.me/SBUkr

While the precise specifications of the latest drone remain undisclosed, they undoubtedly surpass those of the Mahura V5. For example, in July, the "babies" struck the Crimean bridge, substantially diminishing its functionality. During this operation, one "baby" was carrying 850 kg of explosives on its shoulders. 

The naval war culminated on August 4 with the destruction of the Russian Olenegorsky Gornyak, a landing ship, at the military base in Novorossiysk, which was the last refuge of Russian ships in the Black Sea. Although the ship did not sink, its repairs could last until the end of the war. The next day, one of the three drones launched disabled one of Russia's newest tankers, which specialized in fuel for the Russian army, in the Kerch Strait. 

So now there is no place in the Black Sea where Russian ships can feel safe. While the Americans promised to sink the entire Russian Black Sea Fleet in the event of a nuclear strike by Russia, the Ukrainian Armed Forces can do so without this condition by launching about 100 drones into the sea.

The next obvious immediate maritime targets of the Ukrainian Armed Forces could be missile ships firing at Ukrainian cities, a whole flotilla of ships illegally transporting military equipment from Syria to the Black Sea through the Bosporus. Another important task is to completely eliminate the logistics chain to the ports of Berdyansk and Mariupol.

At the same time, SBU Head Vasyl Malyuk, who oversaw the project to create a new maritime drone, promised unexpected surprises for the occupiers.