Chernomorskiy flot
, image = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet
, dates = May 13, 1783 – present
, country =
, allegiance =
, branch =
Russian Navy
, type =
, role =
Naval warfare
Naval warfare is combat in and on the sea, the ocean, or any other battlespace involving a major body of water such as a large lake or wide river. Mankind has fought battles on the sea for more than 3,000 years. Even in the interior of large l ...
;
Amphibious military operations;
Combat patrols in the Black Sea;
Naval presence/diplomacy missions in the Mediterranean and elsewhere
, size = 25,000 personnel (including
marines)
c. 40 surface warships (surface combatants, amphibious, mine warfare) plus support and auxiliaries
7 submarines (2 of which are in the Mediterranean as of March 2022)
, command_structure =
Russian Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (, ), commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military forces of Russia. In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with at least two m ...
, garrison =
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
(
HQ),
Feodosia (
Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a p ...
)
Novorossiysk,
Tuapse,
Temryuk
Temryuk ( rus, Темрю́к, p=tʲɪmˈrʲʉk) is a town and the administrative center of Temryuksky District in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the Taman Peninsula on the right bank of the Kuban River not far from its entry into the T ...
(
Krasnodar Krai
Krasnodar Krai (russian: Краснода́рский край, r=Krasnodarsky kray, p=krəsnɐˈdarskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and administratively a part o ...
)
Taganrog
Taganrog ( rus, Таганрог, p=təɡɐnˈrok) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of the Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population:
History of Taganrog
...
(
Rostov Oblast
Rostov Oblast ( rus, Росто́вская о́бласть, r=Rostovskaya oblast, p=rɐˈstofskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the Southern Federal District. The oblast has an area of and a populat ...
)
, garrison_label =
, nickname =
, patron =
, motto =
, colors =
, colors_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles =
*
Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792)
*
Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included t ...
*
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
*
Russian Civil War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Russian Civil War
, partof = the Russian Revolution and the aftermath of World War I
, image =
, caption = Clockwise from top left:
{{flatlist,
*Soldiers ...
*
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
*
Russo-Georgian War
The 2008 Russo-Georgian WarThe war is known by a variety of other names, including Five-Day War, August War and Russian invasion of Georgia. was a war between Georgia, on one side, and Russia and the Russian-backed self-proclaimed republics of Sou ...
*
Russo-Ukrainian War
The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since February 2014. Following Ukraine's Rev ...
**
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
*
Syrian civil war
, anniversaries = May 13
, decorations =
, battle_honours =
, battle_honours_label =
, disbanded =
, flying_hours =
, website =
, commander1 = Vice-Adm.
Viktor Sokolov
, commander1_label =
, notable_commanders =
Grigory Potemkin
Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauricheski (, also , ;, rus, Князь Григо́рий Алекса́ндрович Потёмкин-Таври́ческий, Knjaz' Grigórij Aleksándrovich Potjómkin-Tavrícheskij, ɡrʲɪˈɡ ...
Adm.
Fyodor UshakovAdm.
Alexander MenshikovAdm.
Yevgeni Alekseyev Adm.
Alexander Kolchak
Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak (russian: link=no, Александр Васильевич Колчак; – 7 February 1920) was an Imperial Russian admiral, military leader and polar explorer who served in the Imperial Russian Navy and fough ...
Adm.
Ivan YumashevAdm.
Filipp OktyabrskiyAdm.
Lev Vladimirsky
Lev Anatolevich Vladimirsky ( Russian: Лев Анатольевич Владимирский; 27 September 1903, Guryev – 7 September 1973, Moscow), was a Soviet naval officer and an Admiral (1954).
He joined the Red Army as a volunteer during ...
Fleet Adm.
Sergey GorshkovFleet Adm.
Vladimir Kasatonov
Vladimir Afanasyevich Kasatonov (russian: Владимир Афанасьевич Касатонов; 21 July 1910 – 9 June 1989) was a Soviet military leader, fleet admiral, and Hero of the Soviet Union.
Kasatonov finished the M.V. Frunz ...
Adm.
Vladimir Masorin
, identification_symbol =
, identification_symbol_label =
, identification_symbol_2 =
, identification_symbol_2_label =
The Black Sea Fleet (russian: link= no, Черноморский флот, ''Chernomorskiy flot'') is the
fleet of the
Russian Navy in the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, ...
, the
Sea of Azov and the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...
. The Black Sea Fleet, along with other Russian ground and air forces on the
Crimean Peninsula, are subordinate to the
Southern Military District
200px, Headquarters of the district at 53 Pushkinskaya Street / 43 Budenovsky avenue, Rostov-on-Don
The Southern Military District ( Russian: Южный военный округ) is a military district of Russia.
It is one of the five militar ...
of the
Russian Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (, ), commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military forces of Russia. In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with at least two m ...
.
The fleet traces its history to its founding by
Prince Potemkin
Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauricheski (, also , ;, rus, Князь Григо́рий Алекса́ндрович Потёмкин-Таври́ческий, Knjaz' Grigórij Aleksándrovich Potjómkin-Tavrícheskij, ɡrʲɪˈɡ ...
on May 13, 1783. The
Russian SFSR
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...
inherited the fleet in 1918; with the founding of the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
in 1922, it became part of the
Soviet Navy. Following the
collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Black Sea Fleet was partitioned between the
Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia
North Asia or Northern Asia, also referred to as Siberia, is the northern region of Asia, which is defined in geographic ...
and
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian invas ...
in 1997, with Russia receiving title to 82% of the vessels.
The Black Sea Fleet has its official
primary headquarters and facilities in
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
, which
Russia illegally took from Ukraine, along with the rest of
Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a p ...
, in 2014. The rest of the fleet's facilities are based in locations on the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, including
Krasnodar Krai
Krasnodar Krai (russian: Краснода́рский край, r=Krasnodarsky kray, p=krəsnɐˈdarskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and administratively a part o ...
,
Rostov Oblast
Rostov Oblast ( rus, Росто́вская о́бласть, r=Rostovskaya oblast, p=rɐˈstofskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the Southern Federal District. The oblast has an area of and a populat ...
and Crimea. The appointment of the commander, Admiral
Viktor Sokolov, was announced on August 16, 2022.
History
Imperial Russian Navy
The Black Sea Fleet is considered to have been founded by
Prince Potemkin
Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauricheski (, also , ;, rus, Князь Григо́рий Алекса́ндрович Потёмкин-Таври́ческий, Knjaz' Grigórij Aleksándrovich Potjómkin-Tavrícheskij, ɡrʲɪˈɡ ...
on May 13, 1783, together with its principal base, the city of
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
. Formerly commanded by such legendary admirals as
Dmitry Senyavin and
Pavel Nakhimov, it is a fleet of enormous historical and political importance for Russia. During the
Russo-Turkish War of 1787–1792 Russian control over Crimea was confirmed and Russian naval forces under the command of Admiral
Fyodor Ushakov defeated the
Turkish fleet at the
Battle of Kerch Strait in 1790, preventing the Turks from landing a force in Crimea.
[Black Sea Fleet (BSF) Morskoyo Flota (Naval Force)](_blank)
. Globalsecurity.org.
During the
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted France against Britain, Austria, Pruss ...
, the Black Sea Fleet was initially deployed under the command of Admiral Ushakov, in conjunction with the Turks, against French forces during the
Siege of Corfu. The victory led to the establishment of the
Septinsular Republic with the island of Corfu then serving as a base for Russian naval units in the Mediterranean operating against the French.
Turkey, encouraged by the French, went to war with Russia in the
Russo-Turkish War of 1806-1812. The Russian fleet (deploying from the
Baltic, but joining some vessels of the Black Sea Fleet already in the Mediterranean prior to the outbreak of war)
under the command of Admiral
Dmitry Senyavin played an instrumental role in this conflict securing victories at both the
Battle of the Dardanelles (1807)
The naval Battle of the Dardanelles took place on 22 May 1807 as a part of the Napoleonic Wars during the Russo-Turkish War of 1806–1812. It was fought between the Russian and Ottoman navies near the Dardanelles Strait.
Background
In Dec ...
and the
Battle of Athos.
After the conclusion of the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
, the Russians, together with the British and French, intervened in the
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted ...
defeating the Turkish fleet at the
Battle of Navarino
The Battle of Navarino was a naval battle fought on 20 October (O. S. 8 October) 1827, during the Greek War of Independence (1821–29), in Navarino Bay (modern Pylos), on the west coast of the Peloponnese peninsula, in the Ionian Sea. Allied ...
in 1827 and helping to secure Greek independence (though once again, the Russian fleet was compelled to deploy from the Baltic). Turkish closure of the Dardanelles Straits then sparked a renewed
Russo-Turkish conflict from 1828 to 1829 which led to the Russians gaining further territory along the eastern Black Sea.
The restriction imposed on the Black Sea Fleet by Turkish control of the
Straits was influential in motivating Russia from time-to-time to attempt to secure control of the passage, which became a recurrent theme in Russian policy. From 1841 onward the Russian fleet was formally confined to the Black Sea by the
London Straits Convention
In the London Straits Convention concluded on 13 July 1841 between the Great Powers of Europe at the time—Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Austria and Prussia—the "ancient rule" of the Ottoman Empire was re-established by closing the Tur ...
.
However, within the Black Sea itself, the Turks found themselves at a naval disadvantage in relation to the Russian Black Sea Fleet. In 1853, the Black Sea Fleet destroyed Turkish naval forces at the
Battle of Sinop after the Turks had declared war on Russia. Nevertheless, during the ensuing
Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included t ...
, the Russians were placed on the defensive and the allies were able to land their forces in Crimea and, ultimately, capture
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
.
As a result of the Crimean War, one provision of the 1856
Treaty of Paris was that the Black Sea was to be a demilitarized zone similar to the Island of
Åland
Åland ( fi, Ahvenanmaa: ; ; ) is an Federacy, autonomous and Demilitarized zone, demilitarised region of Finland since 1920 by a decision of the League of Nations. It is the smallest region of Finland by area and population, with a size of 1 ...
in the Baltic Sea. This hampered the Russians during the
Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 and in the aftermath of that conflict, Russia moved to reconstitute its naval strength and fortifications in the Black Sea.
The Black Sea Fleet would play an instrumental political role in the
1905 Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution of 1905,. also known as the First Russian Revolution,. occurred on 22 January 1905, and was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. The mass unrest was directed again ...
with the crew of the battleship revolting in 1905 soon after the Navy's defeat in the
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...
. The revolt acquired a symbolic character in the lead up to the
Russian Revolutions of 1917
The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and adopt a socialist form of governme ...
and after, as portrayed in the 1925 film by Sergei Eisenstein, ''
Battleship Potemkin''.
Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 19 ...
wrote that the ''Potemkin'' uprising had had a huge importance in terms of being the first attempt at creating the nucleus of a revolutionary army.
World War I and Russian Civil War
During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, there were a
number of encounters between the Russian and
Ottoman navies in the Black Sea. The Ottomans initially had the advantage due to having under their command the German battlecruiser , but after the two modern Russian
dreadnought
The dreadnought (alternatively spelled dreadnaught) was the predominant type of battleship in the early 20th century. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's , had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her ...
s and had been built in
Mykolaiv
Mykolaiv ( uk, Миколаїв, ) is a city and municipality in Southern Ukraine, the administrative center of the Mykolaiv Oblast. Mykolaiv city, which provides Ukraine with access to the Black Sea, is the location of the most downriver bri ...
, the Russians took command of the sea until the Russian government collapsed in November 1917. German submarines of the
Constantinople Flotilla
The Constantinople Flotilla (german: U-Flottille Konstantinopel) was an Imperial German Navy formation set up during World War I to prosecute the U-boat campaign against Allied shipping in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea in support of German ...
and Turkish light forces would continue to raid and harass Russian shipping until the war's end.
In 1918, some elements of the fleet were interned by the
Central Powers
The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
as a result of their advance into South Russia. In the April
Crimea operation, the goal of both Ukrainians and Germans was to get control over the Black Sea Fleet, anchored in
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
. Former Chief of Staff
Mikhail Sablin
Mikhail Pavlovich Sablin (russian: Михаил Павлович Саблин, ua, Миха́йло Па́влович Са́блін) (June 17, 1869 - October 17, 1920), was an admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy, the first independent Ukrain ...
raised the colours of the
Ukrainian National Republic
The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR), or Ukrainian National Republic (UNR), was a country in Eastern Europe that existed between 1917 and 1920. It was declared following the February Revolution in Russia by the First Universal. In March 19 ...
on 29 April 1918, and moved a portion of the
Ukrainian fleet (two battleships and fourteen destroyers) to
Novorossiysk in order to save it from capture by the Germans.
He was ordered to scuttle his ships by
Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 19 ...
but refused to do so. Most ships returned to Sevastopol, where they first came under German control. In November 1918 they came under Allied control who later gave the ships to
Wrangel's fleet
Wrangel's Fleet was the last remnant of the Black Sea Fleet of the Imperial Russian Navy and existed from 1920 until 1924. This squadron was a "White" (anti-communist and anti-revolutionary) unit during the Russian Civil War. It was known also a ...
of the
Whites.
In 1919, following the collapse of the Central Powers' occupation in Western Russia, the Red Fleet of Ukraine was established out of certain remnants of the Russian Imperial Fleet. However, subsequently these elements were either scuttled or captured by the
Western Allies. During the ensuing
Russian Civil War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Russian Civil War
, partof = the Russian Revolution and the aftermath of World War I
, image =
, caption = Clockwise from top left:
{{flatlist,
*Soldiers ...
, the chaotic political and strategic situation in southern Russia permitted the
intervening Western allies to occupy Odessa, Sevastopol and other centres with relative ease.
Most of the ships of the Black Sea Fleet became part of the "Russian Squadron" of Wrangel's armed forces. Following the defeat of anti-Bolshevik forces and the evacuation of Crimea by White forces, the fleet itself sailed to
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
. Out of those ships, some passed to the
French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in th ...
while others were sold as scrap.
Soviet Navy
With the defeat of the anti-Bolshevik
Armed Forces of South Russia, the Soviet government took control of all naval elements. The few ships that remained in the Black Sea were scrapped in the 1920s and a large scale new construction programme began in the 1930s. Over 500 new ships were built during that period and a massive expansion of coastal infrastructure took place. The Black Sea Fleet was commanded by Vice Admiral
F.S. Oktyabrskiy on the outbreak of war with Germany in June 1941.
World War II
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
despite the scale of the German/Axis advance in southern Russia, and the
capture of Crimea by Axis forces in mid-1942, the Fleet, though badly mauled, gave a credible account of itself as it fought alongside the Red Army during the Siege of Odessa and the Battle of Sevastopol.
Soviet hospital ship was sunk on 7 November 1941 by German aircraft while evacuating civilians and wounded soldiers from
Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a p ...
. It has been estimated that approximately 5,000 to 7,000 people were killed during the sinking, making it one of the deadliest List of maritime disasters in the 20th century, maritime disasters in history. There were only 8 survivors.
Cold War
With the end of World War II, the Soviet Union effectively dominated the Black Sea region. The Soviet Union controlled the entire north and east of the Black Sea while pro-Soviet regimes were installed in Romania and Bulgaria. As members of the Warsaw Pact, the Romanian and Bulgarian navies supplemented the strength of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet. Only Turkey remained outside the Soviet Black Sea security regime and the Soviets initially pressed for joint control of the Bosporus Straits with Turkey; a position which Turkey rejected.
In 1952, Turkey decided to join NATO, placing the Bosporus Straits in the Western sphere of influence. Nevertheless, the terms of the Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits, Montreux Convention limited NATO's options with respect to directly reinforcing Turkey's position in the Black Sea. The Soviets, in turn, had some of their naval options in the Mediterranean restricted by the Montreux Convention limitations.
In the later post-war period, along with the Northern Fleet, the Black Sea Fleet provided ships for the 5th Operational Squadron in the Mediterranean, which confronted the United States Navy during the Arab-Israeli wars, notably during the Yom Kippur War in 1973.
In 1988 Coastal Troops and Naval Aviation units of the Black Sea Fleet included:
* Danube Flotilla (Soviet Union), Danube Flotilla:
** 116th River Ship Brigade (Izmail, Odessa Oblast)
* 112th Reconnaissance Ship Brigade (Lake Donuzlav (Mirnyy), Crimean Oblast)
* 37th Rescue Ship Brigade (Sevastopol, Crimean Oblast)
* Marine and Coastal Defense Forces Department
** 810th Naval Infantry Brigade (Sevastopol, Crimean Oblast)
** 362nd independent Coastal Missile Regiment (Balaklava, Crimean Oblast)
** 138th independent Coastal Missile Regiment (Chernomorsk, Crimean Oblast)
** 417th independent Coastal Missile Regiment (Sevastopol, Crimean Oblast)
** 51st independent Coastal Missile Regiment (Mekenzerye, Crimean Oblast)
* Soviet Naval Aviation, Naval Air Forces Department of the Black Sea Fleet
** 2nd Guards Maritime Missile Aviation Division (Gvardeyskoye, Crimean Oblast)(three regiments of maritime attack Tupolev Tu-22M, Tu-22M2s
[Michael Holm]
Navy (VMF) Aviation Regiments
, accessed December 2012.
*** 5th Maritime Missile Aviation Regiment (Veseloye (air base), Veseloye, Crimean Oblast) – disbanded 15.11.94.
*** 124th Maritime Missile Aviation Regiment (Gvardeskoye, Crimean Oblast) – disbanded 1993.
*** 943rd Maritime Missile Aviation Regiment (Oktyabrskoye (air base), Oktyabrskoye) – disbanded 1996.
** 30th independent Maritime Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment (Saky (air base), Saki-Novofedorovka, Crimean Oblast)(Tu-22P)
** 318th independent Anti-Submarine Aviation Regiment (Lake Donuzlav, Crimean Oblast)
** 78th independent Shipborne Anti-Submarine Helicopter Regiment (Lake Donuzlav, Crimean Oblast)
** 872nd independent Shipborne Anti-Submarine Helicopter Regiment (Kacha, Crimean Oblast)
** 917th independent Transport Aviation Regiment (Kacha, Crimean Oblast)
** 859th Training Center for Naval Aviation (Kacha, Crimean Oblast)
In 1989, the 126th Motor Rifle Division at Simferopol was transferred to the Black Sea Fleet from the Odessa Military District. Also that year, the 119th Fighter Aviation Division, with the 86th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, 86th Guards, 161st, and 841st Guards Fighter Aviation Regiments, joined the Fleet from the 5th Air Army.
The 86th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment became part of the Moldovan Air Force upon the breakup of the Soviet Union. The 841st at Meria, Ozurgeti Municipality, Meria airport (between Poti and Batumi in the Adjar ASSR) (Georgian SSR) became the 841st independent Guards Anti-Submarine Helicopter Regiment in May 1991 and was disbanded in October 1992.
After the fall of the Soviet Union
With the fall of the Soviet Union and the demise of the Warsaw Pact, the military importance of the fleet was degraded and it suffered significant funding cuts and the loss of its major missions.
In 1992, the major part of the personnel, armaments and coastal facilities of the Fleet fell under formal jurisdiction of the newly independent
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian invas ...
as they were situated on Ukrainian territory. Later, the Ukrainian government ordered the establishment of its own Ukrainian Navy based on the Black Sea Fleet; several ships and ground formations declared themselves Ukrainian.
However, this immediately led to conflicts with the majority of officers who appeared to be loyal to Russia. According to pro-Ukrainian sailors they were declared "drunkards and villains" and they and their families were harassed.
They have also claimed that their names were branded "traitors to Russia" on local graffiti.
Simultaneously, pro-Russian separatism, separatist groups became active in the local politics of Ukraine's Crimea, Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Sevastopol, city of Sevastopol where the major naval bases were situated, and started coordinating their efforts with pro-Moscow seamen.
Joint Fleet and its partition
Presidents Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine and Boris Yeltsin of Russia negotiated terms for dividing the fleet, and to ease the tensions, on 10 June 1995 the two governments signed an interim treaty, establishing a joint Russo-Ukrainian Black Sea Fleet under bilateral command (and
Soviet Navy flag) until a full-scale partition agreement could be reached. Formally, the Fleet's Commander was to be appointed by a joint order of the two countries' presidents. However, Russia still dominated the Fleet unofficially, and a Russian admiral was appointed as Commander; the majority of the fleet personnel adopted Russian citizenship. Minor tensions between the Fleet and the new Ukrainian Navy (such as electricity cut-offs and sailors' street-fighting) continued.
Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov, Yuriy Luzhkov campaigned to annex the city of Sevastopol, which housed the fleet's headquarters and Sevastopol Naval Base, main naval base, and in December the Russian Federation Council (Russia), Federation Council officially endorsed the claim. Spurred by these territorial claims, Ukraine proposed a "special partnership" with NATO in January 1997.
On 28 May 1997, Russia and Ukraine signed several agreements regarding the fleet including the Partition Treaty on the Status and Conditions of the Black Sea Fleet, Partition Treaty, establishing two independent national fleets and dividing armaments and bases between them.
Ukraine agreed to lease major parts of its facilities to the Russian Black Sea Fleet until 2017.
However, permanent tensions on the lease details continued. The Fleet's main Military base, base was still situated in the Crimean port city of
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
. In 2009 the Viktor Yushchenko, Yushchenko Ukrainian government declared that the lease would not be extended and that the fleet would have to leave Sevastopol by 2017.
Due to the lack of fleet facilities in Russia, the former naval area at the Port of Novorossiysk was revived in September 1994, and officially reorganised as Novorossiysk Naval Base in 1997.
The Russian Federation planned to house the headquarters and the bulk of the fleet there, and undertook a major upgrade of Novorossiysk military facilities starting in 2005 and finishing in 2022.
In April 2010 President Yanukovych renegotiated and Kharkiv Pact, extended the Russian leasehold until 2042 and an option for an additional five years until 2047 plus consideration of further renewals. This deal proved controversial in Ukraine. It appeared to violate the constitutional ban on basing foreign military forces, and would eventually lead to high treason charges.
In this regard, relations between Russia and Ukraine over the status of the Fleet continued to be strained. In an August 2009 letter to Russian Dmitry Medvedev, President Medvedev, Ukrainian President Yushchenko complained about alleged "infringements of bilateral agreements and Ukrainian legislation"
[The Crimea: Europe's Next Flashpoint?](_blank)
, By Taras Kuzio, November 2010
In June 2009, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine said that after December 13, 2009, all officers from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) represented at the Black Sea Fleet would be required to leave Ukraine. From then, the Security Service of Ukraine would ensure the security of the Black Sea Fleet, including Russian sailors on Ukrainian territory. However, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, employees of the FSB working at the Black Sea Fleet facilities were to remain on Ukrainian territory "in line with bilateral agreements". In 2010, based on an agreement between the Ukrainian and Russian governments, military counterintelligence Officer (armed forces), officers from the Federal Security Service returned to the Black Sea Fleet base.
Despite these differences, joint exercises between the Ukrainian Navy and the Black Sea Fleet of Russia resumed with a command-staff exercise in June 2010 after a seven-year interval. In May 2011, Russia and Ukraine resumed their joint "Peace Fairway" (Farvater Mira) naval exercises.
Georgia in the Fleet partition
The newly independent nation of Georgia (country), Georgia, which also hosted several bases of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet when it was the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, Georgian SSR, also claimed a share of the Fleet, including 32 naval vessels formerly stationed at Georgia's Black Sea port of Poti. Not a Commonwealth of Independent States, CIS member at that time, Georgia was not, however, included in the initial negotiations in January 1992. Additionally, some low-importance bases situated in the Russian-backed breakaway autonomy of Abkhazia soon escaped any Georgian control.
[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty']
(opt, mozilla, unix,english,,new) Newsline
. Vol. 1, No. 42, Part I, May 30, 1997
In 1996, Georgia resumed its demands, and the Russian refusal to allot Georgia a portion of the ex-Soviet navy became another bone of contention in the progressively deteriorating Georgian-Russian relations. This time, Ukraine endorsed Tbilisi's claims, turning over several patrol boats to the Georgian Navy and starting to train Georgian crews, but was unable to include in the final fleet deal a transfer of the formerly Poti-based vessels to Georgia.
Later, the rest of the Georgian share was decided to be ceded to Russia in return for diminution of debt.
Russia employed part of the fleet during the Russo-Georgian War, 2008 Georgian conflict. Russian units operating off Georgia (country), Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia region resulted in a reported Battle off the coast of Abkhazia, skirmish and sinking of a ship of the Georgian Navy. Since the 2008 South Ossetia war the Russian Black Sea Fleet has not taken part in any joint naval exercises involving Georgian warships. However, such a statement has little meaning since the Georgian Navy has ceased to exist (early 2009 it was merged with the Georgian coast guard).
Russo-Ukrainian War
=Russian annexation of Crimea
=
The 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine, 2014 political crisis in Ukraine rapidly engulfed Crimea where pro-Russian separatist sentiment was strong. When the Russian Government determined to seize Crimea, specialist Russian military units appear to have played the central role. In March, the Ukrainians claimed that units of the 18th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, 18th Motor Rifle Brigade, 31st Guards Air Assault Brigade, 31st Air Assault Brigade and 22nd Spetsnaz Brigade were deployed and operating in Crimea, instead of Black Sea Fleet personnel, which violated international agreements signed by Ukraine and Russia.
Nevertheless, at minimum the Black Sea Fleet played a supporting role including with respect to preventing the departure of Ukrainian naval vessels from Crimea. Other sources suggested that the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Fleet was also involved.
After the 2014 Crimean crisis, the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Ukrainian Navy were evicted from their bases and subsequently withdrew from Crimea.
During the occupation, Russian forces seized 54 out of 67 ships of the Ukrainian Navy. According to sources from Black Sea Fleet Headquarters, inspections of all ships were to be done by the end of 2014.
On 8 April 2014 an agreement was reached between Russia and Ukraine to return Ukrainian Navy materials to Ukraine proper.
[Russia begins returning Ukraine naval vessels and aircraft]
, Jane's Defence Weekly (12 April 2014) The greater portion of the Ukrainian naval ships and vessels were then returned to Ukraine but Russia suspended this process after War in Donbas (2014–2022), Ukraine did not renew its unilaterally declared ceasefire on 1 July 2014 in the conflict in the Donbas. According to the fleet commander Aleksandr Vitko, this happened because the vessels were old "and, if used [by Ukraine], could hurt its own people".
From that point, Russia proceeded to consolidate its military position in Crimea, which it now regards as an integral part of the Russian Federation, though this position is not one supported by most of the international community.
=Strengthening of the Fleet
=
The Russian seizure of Crimea in 2014 changed the situation and role of the Black Sea Fleet significantly. Analysis undertaken by Micheal Peterson of the US Naval War College suggests that since the Russian seizure of Crimea, the modernization of Russian shore-based assets and of the Black Sea Fleet itself has assisted in re-establishing Russian military dominance in the region. Specifically Peterson argues: "Russian maritime dominance in the Black Sea is back. The shift was made possible by Moscow's 2014 seizure of Crimea and subsequent buildup of combat and maritime law enforcement capabilities in the region".
Prior to the annexation of Crimea, divergent announcements were made concerning the future composition of the fleet. In June 2010, Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky (Admiral), Vladimir Vysotsky announced that Russia was reviewing plans for the naval modernization of the Black Sea Fleet. The plans include 15 new warships and submarines by 2020. These vessels were to partially replace the reported decommissioning of ''Kerch,'' (decommissioned in 2011 and sunk as a blockship in 2014), several large support ships, and a diesel-electric submarine. Also in 2010, Russian Navy Headquarters sources said that, by 2020, six frigates of the Admiral Gorshkov-class frigate, Project 22350 ''Admiral Gorshkov'' class, six submarines of Lada-class submarine, Project 677 Lada class, two large landing ships of Ivan Gren-class landing ship, Project 11711 ''Ivan Gren'' class and four class-unspecified ships would be delivered. Due to the obsolescence of the Beriev Be-12 by 2015, they would be replaced with Il-38s. Sukhoi Su-24M aircraft were planned to be upgraded to Su-24M2 at the same time.
Since the annexation of Crimea, the composition of the Black Sea Fleet has shifted to focus on the Kilo-class submarine, Improved Kilo-class submarines instead of the Lada, the s and at least three new classes of missile corvettes (the , and Buyan-class corvette, Buyan-M classes). The deployment of the ''Admiral Gorshkov''-class frigate with the Black Sea Fleet was still anticipated, though in reduced numbers. The replacement of the Black Sea Fleet's Soviet-era missile boats and corvettes with vessels of more modern design has been a priority since 2010. A similar modernization is also taking place in the Baltic Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla. Utilizing Russia's internal waterways provides the Russian Navy with the capacity to transfer both corvettes and other light units, such as landing craft, among its three western fleets and the Caspian Flotilla as may be required.
Analysis in May 2022 suggested that it may be feasible for the Russian Navy even to move its Kilo-class submarine, ''Kilo''-class submarines between the Black Sea and the Baltic via the internal waterways.
The projection of power into the Mediterranean has also returned as a significant role for the Black Sea Fleet with the reconstitution of the Russian Navy's 5th Operational Squadron. Both the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla have supported Russian involvement in the Syrian Civil War with units from the former now routinely deployed into the Mediterranean. The deployment of submarines from the Black Sea Fleet to the Mediterranean has become a routine occurrence (though the need to send them for "maintenance" in the Baltic, so as to comply with terms of the Montreux Convention, lengthens the timeframe of such deployments significantly). In late 2021 it was reported that one of the new Project 23900 amphibious assault ship, ''Priboy-class'' helicopter assault ships, the ''Mitrofan Moskalenko'', had been earmarked to enter service with the Black Sea Fleet in the latter 2020s in the role of fleet flagship. If confirmed such a deployment would significantly enhance the fleet's power projection capabilities.
Also significant is the build-up of Russian surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile assets in the region. Dmitry Gorenburg of the Centre for Naval Analysis (CNA) has noted that: "Russia's expanded military footprint in Crimea allows it to carry out a range of operations that it was not capable of prior to 2014. The deployment of S-400, Bastion, and Bal missiles allows the Russian military to establish an anti-access/area denial zone (A2/AD) covering almost all of the Black Sea. By using a combination of ground-based and ship-based missiles, backed with strong electronic warfare capabilities, the Russian military can inhibit military movement into the Black Sea and deny freedom of action to an opponent if it does make it into the theater. The long-range sea-, air-, and ground-launched missiles deny access, while shorter-range coastal and air defense systems focus on the area denial mission. The result is several interlocking air defense zones".
Ongoing technological upgrades of this already robust SAM network are planned for the 2020s. Others, such as Michael Kofman of CNA, argue that while there is no A2/AD doctrine or term in Russian military strategy, Russian forces nevertheless are organized at an operational and strategic level to deploy a wide range of overlapping defensive and offensive capabilities that extend beyond just one theatre of operations like the Black Sea.
The evident American response to the dense shore-based anti-ship and air defence capabilities that Russia has developed in the Black Sea region, and elsewhere, has been to place greater emphasis on striking at potential Black Sea and other targets utilizing stand-off air-launched cruise missiles deployed on American long-range bombers. Additionally, the United States, the United Kingdom and Turkey have entered into contracts to supply new corvettes, missile-armed fast attack craft, patrol boats and unmanned air vehicles to the Ukrainian Navy.
In 2020, the Black Sea Fleet obtained seven new warships and auxiliary ships, including corvette ''Grayvoron'', patrol ship ''Pavel Derzhavin'', seagoing tug ''Sergey Balk'', as well as a harbour tugs and three hydrographic survey vessels. In 2021, the same number of vessels should enter service.
=Russo-Ukrainian naval standoff
=
On 29 January 2021, three US naval vessels entered the Black Sea for the first time in three years. On 1 February, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky argued for NATO membership for Ukraine. On 19 March, another significant US naval deployment to the Black Sea took place, as cruiser USS ''Monterey'' and destroyer USS ''Thomas Hudner'' entered the sea on 19 and 20 March respectively. Prior to the scheduled deployment, on 12 March Russian cruiser ''Russian cruiser Moskva, Moskva'' made an exit to sea and on 19 March all six submarines of the Black Sea Fleet went to sea, which was an unprecedented event.
Russian ground forces also started a buildup on the border with Ukraine. On 2 April, Zelensky had his first telephone conversation with Biden, and on 6 April he called NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg pressuring NATO to speed up Ukrainian path to the membership. On 8 April, Russia started moving ten of its Caspian Flotilla warships to the Black Sea. Six amphibious and three artillery boats of ''Serna'' and ''Shmel'' classes, as well as a hydrographic boat GS-599, were reported in transit, while Black Sea Fleet frigate ''Admiral Essen'' conducted an artillery exercise, usually done to raise the readiness for the amphibious landing. The same day, the US decided to send two warships to the Black Sea.
On 9 April 2021, tensions rose further and Ukraine promised not to attack the separatists, while Russia considered intervening to prevent bloodshed. On the same day, two Black Sea Fleet corvettes, ''Vishny Volochyok'' and ''Gravoron'', conducted an exercise. The two US destroyers were clarified by Turkey to be USS ''Roosevelt'' and USS ''Donald Cook'', while Putin stressed the importance of the Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits, Montreux Convention in a telephone conversation with Turkish president Recep Erdogan. On 14 April, the deployment of the two US destroyers was cancelled. On 17 April, amphibious ships ''Aleksandr Otrakovsky'' and ''Kondoponga'' of the Northern Fleet and ''Kaliningrad'' and ''Korolyov'' of the Baltic Fleet strengthened the amphibious warfare capabilities of the Black Sea Fleet. On 30 April, the cruiser ''Moskva'' fired a Vulkan anti-ship missile for the first time.
In November, further tensions started amidst the build-up of Russian ground forces on the Ukraine border. On 2 November, the destroyer USS Porter (DDG-78), USS ''Porter'' entered the Black Sea, followed on 25 November by the destroyer USS Arleigh Burke, USS ''Arleigh Burke''. In late October, the Russian Black Sea fleet held a large exercise with a cruiser, a frigate and three corvettes.
=Incident with HMS ''Defender''
=
On 23 June 2021, the United Kingdom's undertook a freedom of navigation patrol through the disputed waters around the
Crimean Peninsula. The Ministry of Defence (Russia), Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation and border guards said they fired warning shots from coast guard patrol ships and dropped bombs from a Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft in the path of ''Defender'' after, according to the Russian Defence Ministry, it had allegedly strayed for about 20 minutes as far as 3 km (2 miles) into waters off the coast of
Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a p ...
, which Russia annexed in 2014 in a move mostly political status of Crimea, unrecognised internationally. The UK military denied any warning shots were fired and said the ship was in innocent passage in Ukraine's Territorial waters, territorial sea, later clarifying that heavy guns were fired three miles astern and could not be considered to be warning shots.
= 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
=
A build-up of Russian forces around Ukraine and in Belarus began toward the end of 2021, ostensibly for exercises. In February 2022, the Black Sea Fleet was reinforced by six landing ships: three ''Ropucha''-class vessels (''Minsk'' (127), ''Korolev'' (130) and ''Kaliningrad'' (102)) were drawn from the Baltic Fleet while two (''Georgy Pobedonosets'' (016) and ''Olenegorsky Gornyak'' (012)) came from the Northern Fleet. The Ivan Gren-class landing ship, ''Ivan Gren''-class landing ship, ''Pyotr Morgunov'' (117) also deployed to the Black Sea from the Northern Fleet.
The 22nd Army Corps (Russian Federation), 22nd Army Corps (subordinate to the Black Sea Fleet) was also reinforced, including by the 247th Regiment of the 7th Guards Mountain Air Assault Division as well as by the 56th Guards Air Assault Brigade, 56th Guards Air Assault Regiment, subordinate to the same division.
On the eve of the conflict, it was reported that the headquarters of the 58th Combined Arms Army had deployed to Crimea commanding between 12 and 17 battalion tactical groups.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24 and it was initially reported that this included an amphibious landing at Odessa by elements of Russian Naval Infantry and the Black Sea Fleet. However, the report of a landing at Odessa on February 24 subsequently proved to be false. On February 24, the cruiser ''Moskva'' and the patrol ship ''Russian patrol boat Vasily Bykov, Vasily Bykov'' bombarded Battle of Snake Island, Snake Island in the Danube Delta and captured it from its Ukrainian garrison.
On February 26 it was reported that Russian forces made an amphibious assault at Mariupol utilizing half of their landing ships in the Black Sea. A second Russian amphibious group was said still to be positioned in the vicinity of Odessa.
On February 28, Turkey indicated that it was closing the Dardanelles, Dardanelles Straits to all foreign warships for the duration of the conflict. Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, argued that the move was consistent with terms of the Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits, Montreux Convention. An exception would be allowed for Russian ships returning from the Mediterranean to Black Sea bases where they were registered.
As of early March the Ukrainian navy was confirmed to have lost two vessels: the frigate Ukrainian frigate Hetman Sahaidachny, ''Hetman Sahaidachny'', scuttled by its crew to avoid capture, and the patrol vessel Ukrainian patrol vessel Sloviansk, ''Sloviansk'', reported sunk by Russian action on March 3. On March 7 it was reported that the Russian patrol ship ''Vasily Bykov'' may have been damaged by Ukrainian shore-based multiple-launch rocket fire.
However, the ship was subsequently reported as having entered Sevastopol on March 16 with no obvious damage.
On March 14, the Russian source RT reported that the Russian Armed Forces had captured about a dozen Ukrainian ships in Berdyansk. The vessels reported as captured included two Gyurza-M-class artillery boat, ''Gyurza-M''-class artillery boats (including ''Akkerman''), the Matka-class missile boat, ''Matka''-class missile boat ''Pryluky'', a Grisha-class corvette, Project 1124P (Grisha II)-class corvette (likely an already decommissioned vessel given the absence of active ships of this class in the Ukrainian navy), a Zhuk-class patrol boat, ''Zhuk''-class patrol boat, a Yevgenya-class minesweeper, ''Yevgenya''-class minesweeper, the Polnocny-class landing ship, ''Polnocny''-class landing ship ''Yuri Olefirenko'' and a Ondatra-class landing craft, ''Ondatra''-class landing craft.
On March 19, 2022, the Deputy Commander of Russian Black Sea Fleet Captain First Rank Andrey Nikolaevich Paliy was reportedly killed in action near Mariupol in Ukraine. On March 24, the Ukrainian military hit and destroyed the Russian Tapir-class landing ship ''Saratov'' at the Port of Berdiansk.Also it became known that ''Saratov'' has been salvaged and will be towed to Kerch,
Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a p ...
. Two Ropucha-class landing ship, ''Ropucha''-class landing ships were possibly damaged in the same attack.
On March 30 it was reported that, as part of an operation by Russian special forces, the Ukrainian navy Project 1824B reconnaissance ship ''Pereyaslav'' was reportedly hit by gunfire at the mouth of the Dnieper river. The extent of the damage was unknown.
In other parts of March, the Russian Navy bombed some civilian ship, including a Cargo ship belonging to Bangladesh.
On 13 April 2022, ''Moskva'', the fleet's flagship, Sinking of the Moskva, was severely damaged after an explosion. The Ukrainian government claimed it had hit the ship with two Neptune (cruise missile), Neptune cruise missiles. The Russian government claimed the damage was a result of an ammunition explosion. According to the Russian government, everyone on the ship was evacuated. On 14 April, the Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed the ship had sunk. On 15 April, a United States senior defense official confirmed that the ship was hit by two Ukrainian Neptune missiles about 65 nautical miles south of Odessa. On May 6 a letter from the Black Sea Fleet's prosecutor general's office to the family of one of the sailors lost on the ''Moskva'' was made public. Families will not be receiving compensation as "the sinking took place in international waters by accident".
In early May, Ukraine claimed to have destroyed two Russian Raptor-class patrol boats along with a Serna Class landing craft using a Ukrainian Baykar Bayraktar TB2 Unmanned Air Combat Vehicle (UCAV) near Snake Island.
On May 8, Ukrainian officials released footage showing the destruction of two Raptor-class patrol boats and the damaging of a third one, adding that 46 Russian crew members were killed during the operation.
On May 12, Ukrainian news media carried reports that, according to the Odesa military spokesman, the Russian logistics vessel ''Vsevolod Bobrov (ship), Vsevolod Bobrov'' was on fire near Snake Island. Russia denied the claims. Three days later, a US-backed media outlet carried photographs of the ship unharmed moored at Sevastopol.
The ship was also seen with the Pantsir missile system, Pantsir-S mobile surface-to-air missile system on board while docked in Sevastopol.
On May 15, four Kalibr missiles launched from the Black Sea hit Ukrainian military facilities at Yavoriv, near Lviv. The attack was "probably" carried out by submarines. Lviv Oblast, Lviv region's Governor Maxim Kozitsky acknowledged that the target was "completely destroyed".
On May 17, the Ministry of Defense of Russia reported that seaborne Kalibr missiles struck railway facilities at Starichi station near Lviv the night before. The attack was aimed at NATO weapons deliveries to Ukraine. Governor Maxim Kozitsky confirmed the damage on railway infrastructure. The command of the Ukrainian Air Defence claims the shooting down of three missiles in the area.
On June 17, Russian rescue tug Vasily Bekh was reportedly sunk due to two hits by anti-ship missiles (putatively of type Harpoon (missile), Harpoon) while carrying personnel, weapons, and ammunition to resupply Russian-occupied Snake Island.
On July 31, a drone strike at the fleet headquarters in Sevastopol wounded several people and forced the cancellation of Navy Day commemorations. On August 9, 2022 Novofedorivka explosions, huge explosions occurred at Saky (air base), Saky airbase, destroying several fighter planes of the fleet's naval aviation. Some days later, an anonymous Western official said that "[w]e now assess that the events of ..August 9 put more than half of [the] Black Sea fleet's naval aviation combat jets out of use." On August 16, Hvardiiske airbase, a large ammunition dump in Maiske, and an electrical substation in Dzhankoi were hit with explosions, and on August 19 large explosions were heard at Belbek and Russian antiaircraft batteries were active around the Crimean Bridge at Kerch.
On August 17, Russian state media announced that
Viktor Sokolov had been appointed commander of the fleet without any ceremony, apparently due to the yellow terrorist threat level following a series of explosions.
Commanders
Order of battle
The Black Sea Fleet, and other Russian ground and air forces in Crimea, are subordinate to the
Southern Military District
200px, Headquarters of the district at 53 Pushkinskaya Street / 43 Budenovsky avenue, Rostov-on-Don
The Southern Military District ( Russian: Южный военный округ) is a military district of Russia.
It is one of the five militar ...
of the Russian Armed Forces. The Black Sea Fleet is one component of Russian forces in the Southern Military District and is supported by other Russian military formations in the District, including the 4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army. The Russian Coast Guard and National Guard of Russia provide additional armed patrol capabilities, which have also been expanded since the Russian seizure of Crimea to support the enforcement of Russian territorial claims.
30th Surface Ship Division
4th Independent Submarine Brigade
197th Assault Ship Brigade
Black Sea Fleet amphibious vessels being joined by five additional ''Ropucha''-class: (''Minsk'' (127), ''Korolev'' (130) and ''Kaliningrad'' (102) from the Baltic Fleet as well as ''Georgy Pobedonosets'' (016) and ''Olenegorsky Gornyak'' (012) from the Northern Fleet); also deployed to the Black Sea from the Northern Fleet is the Ivan Gren-class landing ship, ''Ivan Gren''-class vessel ''Pyotr Morgunov'' (117); all vessels entered the Black Sea by February 9
and as of March 2022 all were reported on active operations as part of the invasion of Ukraine.
388th Marine Reconnaissance Point/1229th Naval Intelligence Center
68th Coastal Defense Ship Brigade
41st Missile Boat Brigade
184th Novorossiysk Coastal Defense Brigade
519th Separate Squadron
Auxiliaries
176th Expeditionary Oceanographic Ship Division
Black Sea Fleet Ground Forces, Naval Infantry and Surface-to-Surface Missile Forces
* 22nd Army Corps (Russian Federation), 22nd Army Corps (HQ: Simferopol, Crimea; subordinate to the Black Sea Fleet):
**15th Guards Coastal Missile-Artillery Brigade – Sevastopol, Crimea:
3x K-300P Bastion-P anti-ship missile system (350 to 450 km range), P-800, P-800 Oniks anti-ship missile system (credited with 300 km
to 600–800 km range) (Western designation SS-N-26), Kh-35, Bal anti-ship missile system (130 to 300 km range); targeting information provided by Monolit radar systems.
**126th Coastal Defence Brigade (Perevalny, Crimea)
(equipped as mechanized infantry, including T-72B3 main battle tanks)
**127th Reconnaissance Brigade
(status/strength unclear as of January 2022)
**8th Artillery Regiment (Simferopol, Crimea; self-propelled howitzers, multiple rocket launchers, anti-tank missile systems/guns)
** Surface-to-surface missile battalion (9K720 Iskander, Iskander SSMs) to be added in 2022
** 854th Coastal Missile Regiment (Sevastopol)
* 171st Air Assault Battalion (Novostepove Crimea; subordinate to the 97th Regiment of the 7th Guards Mountain Air Assault Division, HQ at Novorossiysk, Krasnodar)
* 56th Guards Air Assault Regiment (reported to be formed from the planned re-deployment of the 56th Guards Air Assault Brigade from the Volgograd region to
Feodosia in Crimea; regiment has integrated and further reinforced the strength of 7th Guards Air Assault Division since December 2021)
*11th Coastal Missile-Artillery Brigade – Utash, Krasnodar region:
3-5 Bastion battalions and 1-2 Bal battalions.
* Surface-to-Surface Missiles (included deployed on Crimean peninsula):
** P-800 Oniks anti-ship missile system
** SS-N-3 Shaddock, Redut
** SS-N-2 Styx, Rubezh
** Kh-35, Bal
** Bastion-P including silo-based K-300P Bastion-P, K-300S
** Object 100 Utes (near Sevastopol)
* Naval Infantry/Special Forces
** 810th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade
** 382nd Naval Infantry Battalion? (Status unclear as of 2021)
** 388th Maritime Recon Point (Special Forces battalion)
Black Sea Region Aviation and Air Defence Forces
2nd Guards Naval Aviation Division (Sevastopol; subordinate to the Black Sea Fleet)
* 43rd Independent Naval ''Shturmovik'' Maritime Attack Aviation Regiment – HQ at Gvardeyskoye, Crimea – 18x Sukhoi Su-24, Su-24M; 4x Sukhoi Su-24, Su-24MR (being replaced by Su-30, Sukhoi Su-30SMs as of 2019; Su-30SMs reported active with the regiment as of 2021)
* 318th Mixed Aviation Regiment (Kacha (air base), Kacha): reportedly An-26, Be-12, and Ka-27 ASW and Ka-29 assault/transport helicopters (as of 2019 – Regiment may supersede/replace former 25th and 917th Aviation Regiments?)
27th Composite Aviation Division (in Crimea but subordinate to 4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army – Rostov-on-Don)
* 37th Composite Aviation Regiment (Simferopol International Airport, Simferopol) (Two Squadrons: Su-24 and Su-25)
* 38th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (Sevastopol International Airport, Sevastopol) (Two Squadrons: Su-27/Su-30SM
the latter with P-800 Oniks, Oniks (Yakhont) supersonic anti-ship missiles)
(may partly re-equip with Su-57?)
* 39th Helicopter Regiment (Dzhankoi (air base), Dzhankoi) has been equipped with Mi-35M attack helicopters,
Ka-52, Mi-28N, and Mi-8AMTSh helicopters (as of 2016).
31st Air Defense Division (HQ: Sevastopol) subordinate to the 4th Air and Air Defense Forces Army (HQ: Rostov-on-Don)
* 12th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment
* 18th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment
** Five battalions with S-400, S-400 SAM systems (250–400 km range)
** S-300 (missile), S-300 long-range surface-to-air missiles with Nebo-M radars.
** Four battalions: Pantsir missile system, Pantsir-S medium-range SAM
** Buk missile system, Buk SAM system
51st Air Defense Division (HQ: Rostov-on-Don;
with S-400, S-300, Pantsir, Buk SAM systems subordinate to 4th Air Army)
* 1537th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (
Novorossiysk, Krasnodar)
* 1721st Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Sochi; may have started re-equipping with S-350E Vityaz 50R6, S-350 surface-to-air missile systems in May 2021).
* 1536th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Rostov-on-Don)
7th Military Base (Primorskoe, Abkhazia Russian-occupied Georgia – S-400 and S-300 SAMs)
Incidents
The Russian Black Sea Fleet's (BSF) use of leased facilities in
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
and the Crimea was sometimes controversial. A number of incidents took place:
* For security reasons, the BSF refused to allow Ukrainians to inspect its aircraft cargo, after allegations by Ukrainians that they could be carrying nuclear weapons, which would have infringed upon Ukraine's status under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, NPT)
* The BSF transported rockets repeatedly through the port of Sevastopol without seeking permission from Ukrainian authorities.
* A lighthouse is located on the headland which, starting in 2005, was the subject of a controversy between Ukraine and Russia. From August 3, 2005, the lighthouse was occupied by the Russian military. Despite a controversial ruling by a Court in Sevastopol on the subject, Russian military officials referred to the fact that they only took orders from the chief of the Russian Navy headquarters and no one else. Ukrainian activists complained that Sarych was illegally occupied by the
Russian Navy. As a military facility, the territory around the Sarych headland is closed to trespassers with barbed wire, and the Flag of Russia, Russian flag flew over Sarych.
* In 2006, Ukrainian officials blocked Russian workers from entering the BSF lighthouse in Yalta.
* During the 2008 South Ossetia War, the Ukrainian Navy was ordered to block the entrance to Sevastopol from Russian vessels taking part in the hostilities. However, Russian Navy ships returned to base unimpeded by the sympathetic Ukrainian sailors.
* June 20, 2009 – In Sevastopol, a Russian fleet servicemen allegedly used physical force against 30 civilians. The city also alleges contract violations by the Construction Management Corporation of the Black Sea Fleet for not following through on promises to construct requested commercial housing after taking advance payment. The city began talks with the President and the Prime-Minister of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin, and also to the Russian Ministry of Defence (Russia), Minister of Defense Anatoliy Serdyukov with respect to the contract violations, but those did not yield results.
* On August 27, 2009, Russian Naval Infantry, Russian marines successfully prevented Ukrainian bailiffs from enforcing a Ukrainian court ruling on seizing lighthouses belonging to the BSF.
Russia stated that Ukrainians may not step onto its bases without permission. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry described the Russian obstruction as a "disregard for Ukrainian legislation and international agreements".
* On April 16, 2013, a "high-ranking Russian Defense Ministry official" complained to Interfax that "Ukraine's stubborn position" was slowing the cancellation of customs payments (for the fleet) and that Ukraine still upheld (former) Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko's 2008 decrees that banned the "relaxed procedure" of BSF formations crossing the Ukrainian border.
[Kyiv obstructs Black Sea Fleet's modernization, says Russian military official](_blank)
Interfax-Ukraine (16 April 2013)
See also
* Azov-Black Sea Flotilla
* Black Sea Fleet electoral district (Russian Constituent Assembly election, 1917)
References
Further reading
*
External links
Russia – Ukraine Lease agreementUnofficial site''Narodny Oglyadach'' reports on morale situation in Russian naval base in Sevastopol
*[http://rusnavy.com/history/interesting/ukranianfleet.htm?print=Y Ukrainian Navy: ferial excursions into the past and present]
*Stratfor
Fwd: Insight – Russia –Black Sea Fleet focus & some sub issues – Stratfor discussion on Black Sea Fleet, 2011
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Military units and formations established in 1783
Naval units and formations of the Soviet Union
Russian fleets
Russia–Ukraine relations
Black Sea
Russian Navy
Military history of the Black Sea
1783 establishments in the Russian Empire
Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner
Military units and formations of the Russo-Ukrainian War