Ukraine says Russian cruise missile submarines are out in force as its Black Sea surface fleet falls back

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Ukraine says Russian cruise missile submarines are out in force as its ****** Sea surface fleet falls back

Russia’s deployed three of its cruise missile submarines to the larger ****** Sea area, Ukraine says.

The ****** Sea Fleet has six improved Kilo-class subs, including one that was damaged by Ukraine last year.

The fleet’s surface vessels have abandoned its base in Crimea amid major Ukrainian missile strikes.

The Russian navy has simultaneously deployed three of its cruise missile submarines in waters within the general ****** Sea area, Ukraine’s navy says.

The subs, likely improved Kilo-class vessels, are out in force just weeks after

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left its base in Crimea following relentless Ukrainian attacks. Russia has withdrawn many of its surface vessels to less vulnerable positions.

But the submarine force is still active. Dmytro Pletenchuk, a Ukrainian navy spokesperson, posted

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Monday that Russia, for the first time, had sent out three subs carrying cruise missiles at once in the Azov-****** Sea region.

He signaled this is the main Russian naval threat at the moment. Referencing surface ship losses, he said that Russia’s ****** Sea Fleet has been “called a submarine fleet,” adding that “now, it’s true.”

Russia’s ****** Sea Fleet has six

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. One, the Rostov-on-Don, was damaged last fall by an apparent Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missile fired by Ukraine. The Kilo subs are diesel-electric ******* vessels capable of carrying

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, torpedoes, and naval mines.

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Russia’s ****** Sea Fleet warships take part in the Navy Day celebrations in the port city of Novorossiysk.*********/AFP via Getty Images

In late June, Pletenchuk shared that Russian warships were launching missiles from the Sea of Azov, a smaller body of water north of the ****** Sea surrounded by Russian territory, because they

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. Then, last week, Pletenchuk noted on

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that Russia had pulled its ships out of the Sea of Azov.

At the time, Pletenchuk said that it seemed that Russia had begun “to suspect something,” potentially referencing Ukraine’s increasingly intense attacks in the ****** Sea region. Ukrainian naval officials have said in recent months that strikes in Crimea and around the ****** Sea have forced the Russian navy to change its posture.

Business Insider was unable to independently verify Ukraine’s claims, but there have been indications of notable changes in force presence at Russian naval bases.

Ukraine conducted several high-profile strikes on the port of Sevastopol and some Russian vessels and submarines, including the Rostov-on-Don, last year. Coupled with the drone boat attacks, these triggered the withdrawal of the ****** Sea Fleet to other bases in the area. Satellite images obtained by Business Insider have documented the

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.

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A photo of a new model Sea Baby drone. Ukraine has used the drones to devastate Russia’s ****** Sea fleet.SBU

Lacking a traditional naval force able to compete with Russia’s ****** Sea Fleet, Ukraine has

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to defeat Russian ships in the ****** Sea.

Successes in the ****** Sea have been a bright spot for Ukraine amid a grinding ground ******. Ukraine has seen little success in reclaiming occupied Russian territory, such as during its

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, but has largely,

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earlier this year aside, been able to hold the line against Russian offensive efforts.

The ****** Sea has been a different story. In late June, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the Ukrainians had sunk or damaged at least 24 Russian vessels in the ****** Sea.

Countering the serious threat posed by Russian cruise missile submarines operating in the region is a more difficult challenge than targeting and engaging surface ships.

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#Ukraine #Russian #cruise #missile #submarines #force #****** #Sea #surface #fleet #falls

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