Ukrainian forces have been responsible for the destruction of 15 Russian warships in the Black Sea, with an additional 12 suffering damage since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk reported on 17 November.
“Of course, not all of these are the result of the work of our drones, but they also accounted for quite a lot of damage to enemy ships,” Pletenchuk said.
Pletenchuk stated that Ukraine is now a “driver of this new type of naval warfare, and everyone recognizes that.” He said Ukraine is demonstrating a new level of unmanned systems use, having a separate brigade of drones for surface and underwater operations used not just for reconnaissance but also for attack.
Pletenchuk added that Russian capabilities in the Black Sea have recently been significantly reduced due to Ukrainian forces’ military operations.
“We can even assert that they are currently in a defensive position. However, the danger remains. Unfortunately, the enemy still has cruise missile carriers,” he said.
The naval spokesman affirmed Ukraine’s forces will continue efforts to degrade Russia’s Black Sea fleet.
“We will definitely expand our influence at the first opportunity,” Pletenchuk concluded.
On 16 November, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia’s naval fleet was forced to retreat from the eastern part of the Black Sea following attacks on its headquarters and port infrastructure by the Ukrainian Army.
On 4 November, Ukrainian Armed Forces damaged the Russian Navy’s Askold small missile carrier with a strike at a shipyard in Russian-occupied Crimea. Reportedly, the ship has suffered significant damage and may not be repairable.
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