In response to Ukraine’s success in targeting Russian installations near the occupied Crimean peninsula with naval drones, Russia is bolstering its Black Sea fleet with more weaponry.
The installation of large-caliber machine-gun rifle systems on Black Sea naval warships was ordered by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to shoot down hostile drones.
Ukrainian forces have severely damaged the Russian Black Sea fleet since February 2022. Despite Kyiv’s promises to retake Crimea, its military has launched surprise attacks on the Black Sea fleet using its own MAGURA V5 unmanned naval vehicles. In February, Ukrainian naval drones engaged the missile-armed corvette Ivanovets of Russia and engaged the massive landing ship Caesar Kunikov using unmanned surface vehicles, destroying both ships.
Russian naval losses in the Black Sea amount to twenty percent, according to Britain’s defense minister Grant Shapps, who also noted that Russia’s dominance in the Black Sea is now challenged. The Kremlin has moved Russian forces stationed at the Novorossiysk base in the Krasnodar area from Crimea to a location farther from Ukraine’s shore. The separatist area of Abkhazia, which is officially acknowledged as part of Georgia, is reportedly being used by Moscow to set up yet another base.
In reaction to what he saw as an effort by Kyiv to scuttle his re-election campaign, President Vladimir Putin threatened a robust military response to a series of strikes on Russia’s border by Ukraine. While the three-day poll was underway in the seized parts of Ukraine, Putin spoke to his security council. No opposition candidates were permitted to run for office during the election.
From the very last day of 1999 until 2030, the Kremlin will continue to exert its sway on Russia. Russian officials have urged their citizens to do their patriotic duty and cast their ballots, with the Kremlin claiming that this will demonstrate the country’s unwavering support for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
