Russian vessels are leaving Sevastopol

The Russian Black Sea Fleet moved 14 warships from Sevastopol Bay to Novorossiysk.

OSINT analyst MT Anderson reported on this.

According to the satellite images from October 4, six amphibious assault ships, Admiral Essen and Admiral Makarov frigates, and three Project 636 Varshavyanka class submarines were deployed to Novorossiysk.

The Project 22160 Vasyl Bykov patrol ship and two Project 21631 Buyan-M small missile ships were also relocated.

However, four amphibious ships and one submarine remain in Sevastopol. Some of them are presumably undergoing repairs.

Part of the Black Sea Fleet remains in remote ports in eastern Crimea, away from Ukrainian weapons. In particular, another amphibious assault ship, minesweepers, and missile boats are stationed in Feodosia.

A new “regrouping”

The most likely reason for the deployment of so many Black Sea Fleet ships to the less protected port of Novorossiysk is the constant threat of Ukrainian missile strikes and drone attacks in the west of the occupied peninsula.

For example, over the past month, Ukrainian forces in Crimea destroyed the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet, the Minsk landing ship, and the Rostov-on-Don submarine.

According to the Russian Navy Command, the “regrouping” to remote ports in the Black Sea should protect the fleet from this threat.

For Ukraine, this decision means a decrease in the presence of the Russian fleet in the northwestern part of the Black Sea.

Besides, almost all Kalibr cruise missile carriers have been redeployed to Novorossiysk. Thus, launching missiles from remote waters will significantly increase the flight time, which will increase the time for allied reconnaissance aircraft to detect them and for Ukrainian air defense systems to respond.

This is not the first defeat of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea during the Russian-Ukrainian war. Due to the operation of the Neptune anti-ship missile system and the deployment of the American Harpoon anti-ship missile system, the Russians lost their flagship and were forced to leave the western maritime zone.

The Russian Navy also failed to paralyze the work of Ukrainian ships. At the same time, the threat of a potential amphibious assault on Odesa is becoming more and more illusive.