Reports: Putin’s Fleet Withdraws from Sevastopol Will Donald Trump Be the Next Speaker?

Ukraine did not militarily defeat Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, but apparently drove it from its headquarters. Satellite images reportedly show that many warships from Sevastopol in Crimea have been moved east to Novorossiysk. The Wall Street Journal reports this. British Defense Secretary James Heappey had earlier spoken at a security conference in Warsaw that the Russian fleet had been “functionally defeated”.

The Wall Street Journal quotes Mikhail Barabanov, an analyst at a Moscow-based think tank who examined the satellite images. Accordingly, all three submarines stationed in the Crimean port, two frigates and a patrol boat were brought to Novorossiysk. There is another Black Sea Fleet base there. The city is located in the Krasnodar region and out of reach of Ukrainian missiles.

In addition, landing craft, smaller missile boats and minesweepers were brought to Feodosiya, whose port is further east on the Crimean Peninsula.

Fleet now out of missile range

The measure comes after several attacks in Crimea, including on the fleet headquarters and on several ships. A submarine and a landing craft that were in a dock were also hit. It is believed that English and French medium-range missiles were used. But these do not extend as far as Novorossiysk. However, an attack by Ukrainian naval drones had already taken place there.

Yoruk Isik, a naval expert and head of consultancy Bosphorus Observer, told the US newspaper that the satellite images showed nets and ships at the entrance to the shipyard in Feodosiya – apparently Russian naval security measures. “They are concerned about the security that Ukraine can conduct a successful naval operation here,” said Isik, who also confirmed that the images showed that the Russian warships had been moved from Sevastopol to the other ports.

After several air and drone attacks at sea, Ukraine said it landed troops on the peninsula a week ago. But they withdrew after a firefight with Russian soldiers and there were casualties, said Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for the Ukrainian secret service.

Pressure on the fleet facilitates the passage of grain ships

The pressure on the Black Sea Fleet has several reasons. On the one hand, Russia had threatened to block grain ships from Odessa. Attacks on port facilities followed. Ukraine’s activities limit Russia’s ability to freely navigate its ships between Crimea and the Ukrainian coast.

A Ukrainian military spokeswoman said on Wednesday that Ukraine had pushed back the front line in the Black Sea at least 100 nautical miles from the Ukrainian coast. Russian ships no longer sail beyond Cape Tarhankut on the western side of the Crimean peninsula, said Natalia Humeniuk, a spokeswoman for the Ukrainian Southern Armed Forces. This means that Ukraine can also catch up economically.

According to the Ukrainian Navy, 12 more cargo ships are ready to use the Black Sea shipping corridor and enter Ukrainian ports. In addition, ten cargo ships could leave Ukraine again, says navy spokesman Dmytro Pientschuk.

Setback for Putin

In August, Ukraine announced a so-called humanitarian corridor in the Black Sea through which cargo ships stuck since the war began in February 2022 will leave Ukrainian ports. Several ships have now entered and left the ports with grain, other agricultural goods or iron ore.

On the other hand, attacks against Russian occupiers on the peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014, are also an instrument of psychological warfare. Kiev has repeatedly emphasized that Crimea is part of Ukraine and must be retaken. Russian President Vladimir Putin once held a big celebration in honor of the occupation. The fact that his fleet now has to withdraw will probably be a setback for him.

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