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Russian Black Sea Fleet is practically neutered.


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2022 May 9, 11:06am   30,533 views  259 comments

by Eric Holder   ➕follow (5)   💰tip   ignore  


After the dramatic sinking of the missile-cruiser Moskva by a Ukrainian missile battery on April 14, the Russian Black Sea Fleet is down to just three major surface combatants. The best and most important of them might be the new missile-frigate Admiral Makarov.
...

On Thursday and Friday there were reports the Ukrainians had landed a blow with a Neptune and the frigate was on fire. There was no immediate hard evidence to back up the rumors, although one blurry video that circulated online does seem to depict a warship in flames.

Commissioned in 2017, Admiral Makarov is the third, last and most modern vessel in her class. All three of the Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates belong to the Black Sea Fleet. Armed with 24 Buk medium-range surface-to-air missiles and eight Kalibr cruise missiles, all in vertical cells, the frigates can escort other vessels and also attack targets on land.

Admiral Makarov and her sisters are not big ships. Displacing just 4,000 tons of water and accommodating 200 crew, they’re less than half the size of the U.S. Navy’s main surface combatants, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

But the frigates are about as big as Russia can make a non-nuclear surface combatant these days, for reasons that—ironically—have everything to do with the current war. Throughout the Soviet era and for years after the USSR’s collapse, Russia acquired its big marine engines from Ukraine.

After Russia in 2014 invaded and annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula—including the port of Sevastopol where Admiral Makarov now is based—Kyiv barred certain exports to Russia, including the marine engines Russia requires for any fast, conventional vessel displacing more than 5,000 tons or so.

Which is to say, after 2014 the Russian navy struggled to build big warships. That made it impossible to replace, like for like, the biggest Soviet-vintage ships such as Moskva, which displaced 12,000 tons.


...

Moskva’s sinking, along with the earlier destruction of the Black Sea Fleet landing ship Saratov following an apparent hit by a Ukrainian ballistic missile, spooked fleet commanders. They pulled back the surviving surface ships.

Many, including one Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate—it’s not clear which—were moored in Sevastopol as recently as Thursday. When the warships do sail from Crimea, they tend to stay 100 miles or so from the Ukrainian coast, potentially keeping them beyond the range of Kyiv’s Neptunes.

Keeping at a safe distance meant the frigates apparently were in no position to help when the Ukrainian navy last week mounted a furious drone assault on the Russian garrison on Snake Island. The tiny hunk of rock, 25 miles off the coast of southwestern Ukraine, helped Kyiv assert some control over the western Black Sea—until the Russians captured it on the first full day of the current war on Feb. 24.

Ukrainian TB-2 drones knocked out Russian air-defenses on the island then went hunting deeper at sea. On Monday, a TB-2 struck two Russian Raptor-class patrol boats with laser-guided missiles, heavily damaging if not destroying both of the 55-foot boats as they motored toward Snake Island.

Without the protection of a frigate, the Raptors were sitting ducks. In that sense, sinking Moskva—and scaring off the rest of the Black Sea Fleet’s major combatants—was as good as sinking the frigates, too. It doesn’t matter that Russia still has three powerful warships in the Black Sea if those ships can’t, or won’t, risk approaching the Ukrainian coast.
...



https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2022/05/06/the-russian-frigate-admiral-makarov-might-be-the-juiciest-target-in-the-black-sea/?sh=5439ecbb74d5&source=patrick.net

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181   RayAmerica   2023 Sep 22, 8:38pm  

Seymour Hersh Claims Ukraine ‘War Effort’ Is ‘All Lies’: ‘The War Is Over – Russia Has Won’

“The war is over. Russia has won,” a senior U.S. intel official reportedly told Hersh.

“There is no Ukrainian offensive anymore, but the White House and the American media have to keep the lie going.

“The truth is if the Ukrainian army is ordered to continue the offensive, the army would mutiny.

“The soldiers aren’t willing to die anymore, but this doesn’t fit the B.S. that is being authored by the Biden White House.”
https://slaynews.com/news/seymour-hersh-claims-ukraine-war-effort-all-lies-war-over-russia-won/
182   RWSGFY   2023 Sep 22, 8:40pm  

More CGI for your viewing pleasure:

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1705272408620277986/mediaViewer?mode=profile

That AI-generated stuff is getting gooood!
183   richwicks   2023 Sep 22, 9:03pm  

RayAmerica says

“The soldiers aren’t willing to die anymore, but this doesn’t fit the B.S. that is being authored by the Biden White House.”
https://slaynews.com/news/seymour-hersh-claims-ukraine-war-effort-all-lies-war-over-russia-won/


I'm doubtful because why would Seymour Hersh give the story to another reporter, instead of just report on it?

Bunch of unsourced quotes in there.
185   RWSGFY   2023 Sep 23, 9:52am  

Aaaaand the remaining three landing ships are out of Sebastopol and the Black Sea alltoghether, hiding in the Nazi Sea ... err... I mean Azov Sea:

https://twitter.com/tom_bike/status/1703838577740705859



They started the SCHMO with 7 of these, btw.
186   RWSGFY   2023 Sep 23, 3:54pm  

Explosion reported near Russian Black Sea Fleet shipyard in Sevastopol

6:30 am, September 23, 2023
Source: Meduza
According to independent publication Agenstvo, residents of the city of Sevastopol in annexed Crimea reported hearing an explosion in the city’s Troitska Bay district on the morning of September 23.

According to local residents, there was a strike near Henerala Zhydylova Street, which is located near a shipyard and the 13th Ship Repair Plant, where ships that are part of the Russian Navy undergo repairs. Agenstvo’s sources noted that it’s not clear whether the missile hit the plant’s structure.

Head of annexed Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said that air defense systems shot down a missile and its debris fell near the pier in the Sukharnaya Bay (located opposite Troitskaya Bay on the other side of the larger Sevastopol Bay).

The Telegram channel Crimean Wind posted photos which appear to show smoke in the Sukharnaya Bay district.
188   RWSGFY   2023 Sep 23, 6:11pm  

Ceffer says






🤡
Oh, Ceffer is now worried about Clihmate Chaaange. How cute.

You know who can turn everybody's attention to that precious AGW you and Greta are so worried about? The Cretin of Kremlin. All he needs to do is to take his war criminals back to their already very generous internationally-recognized Lebensraum ... err.. borders, pay reparations and allow prosecution of all military crimes (including the forced detention and deportation to the Reich of thousands of children and whatever was done to them there). And presto - the world will be back to that AGW of yours in no time.

PS. Oh, and you know who else think the Cretin's of Kremlin adventure is a "distraction from AGW"? John fucking Kerry.
190   RWSGFY   2023 Sep 23, 6:15pm  

Neutering as seen from space:


191   richwicks   2023 Sep 23, 6:23pm  

RWSGFY says

Ceffer says





🤡
Oh, Ceffer is now worried about Clihmate Chaaange. How cute.


I think the point being made is that our governments don't really care about Climate Change other than as a distraction. If they did, they wouldn't be spending the majority of their resources on war.
192   Eric Holder   2023 Sep 25, 11:32am  

Fun facts:

Cruiser Moskva was the first flaghip sunk since 1904.
Admiral Sokolov is the first fleet commander killed since 1904.
The current flagship of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet (which replaced Moskva in that role) "Admiral Makarov" which is the name of that that admiral who was killed onboard that flaghip sunk in 1904.
194   DOGEWontAmountToShit   2023 Sep 25, 7:02pm  

RWSGFY says






What submarine?

The Kilo hit in dry docks by the drone strike was barely scratched, let alone 'damaged'.
195   RWSGFY   2023 Sep 27, 9:20am  

Trollhole says

RWSGFY says







What submarine?

The Kilo hit in dry docks by the drone strike was barely scratched, let alone 'damaged'.


You sure 'bout that? And the two gaping holes will just "buff right out"? Bless your heart.
197   RWSGFY   2023 Oct 6, 10:06am  

The demilitarization, denazification and desatanisation of Sevastopol is almost complete:

The Exodus of Russian ships from Sevastopol

Russian Black Sea Fleet moved most of its ships from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk.

All three operational submarines of Project 06363 (Kilo-class), both frigates of Project 11356 (Admiral Grigorovich-class) & one patrol ship moved to Novorossiysk.

Project 1135M (Krivak-class frigate), five large landing ships, and, apparently, the bulk of small missile ships are also in Novorossiysk.

Another part of the ships - one large landing ship, two small missile ships and both new minesweepers of Project 12700 (Alexandrit-class) - moved from Sevastopol to Feodosia.


Some CGI: https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1709463466874982723
198   RWSGFY   2023 Oct 9, 11:21pm  

Denazification and demilitarization of Sevastopol confirmed by Soviet source and even an excuse is provided:

https://twitter.com/UKikaski/status/1710264985811570767

It wasn't so hard, was it? Turns out the Red Fleet can happily exist w/o a base in Sebastopol and all that silly talk about nukes if fleet in Sevastopol is threatened was just that - silly talk.

PS. Would YOU stay if your HQ looked like this?


199   Eric Holder   2023 Oct 10, 11:00am  

Remember how Pukin exited the grain deal and declared a naval blocade? What came out of that?



PS. Resumption of food exports is a solid anti-inflationary move on Ukies part, bringing relief to these poor Americans buckling under the ginormous cost of nominal 21 cents per day per US person provided as aid to Ukraine over the last 20 month.
200   Eric Holder   2023 Oct 11, 5:13pm  

BREAKING: Unconfirmed reports about the Russian patrol ship “Pavel Derzhavin” having been blown up near Sevastopol today https://t.co/7al82RXEUp
201   Eric Holder   2023 Oct 11, 5:15pm  

All drydocks in the Black Sea are now occupied: https://youtu.be/JauEhJ8y8Ac

If Derzhavin is indeed blown up it will have nowhere to go for repairs (unless it has joined Moskva in the growing Red Flotilla submarine detachment).
202   komputodo   2023 Oct 11, 9:55pm  

Eric Holder says

All drydocks in the Black Sea are now occupied: https://youtu.be/JauEhJ8y8Ac

then all is lost for russia...they might as well surrender.
203   komputodo   2023 Oct 11, 9:56pm  

Eric Holder says

Remember how Pukin exited the grain deal and declared a naval blocade? What came out of that?

I remember our "news media" claiming that.
204   RWSGFY   2023 Oct 15, 10:55am  

Hunted like rabbits at the entrance to what used to be their home base:

https://twitter.com/CovertShores/status/1712920949484380428
205   RWSGFY   2023 Nov 4, 7:17pm  

The neutering continued in Kerch:



The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched 15 Storm shadow cruise missiles at the small missile ship Karakurt in Kerch. 13 missiles were allegedly shot down. This means that at least two missiles with a warhead of 450 kg each hit the ship, which means Karakurt either received heavy damage and was disabled for a long time, or it was destroyed and cannot be restored. The words about 15 missiles raise many questions, since earlier the Russian Defense Ministry itself stated that it had destroyed all Ukrainian Su-24 bombers capable of carrying cruise missiles. And now it turns out that at least 15 Su-24s were raised for the strike at the same time.


https://t.me/ButusovPlus/6021

The moment of the destruction of the small missile ship of the Russian Navy Karakurt at the dock in Kerch by Storm Shadow cruise missiles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on November 4. As you can see, Russian air defense was probably able to shoot down two cruise missiles, but the other two broke through and accurately hit the target. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that 13 missiles were allegedly shot down. The relatively high flight altitude of Storm Shadow is noteworthy. This is what allows Russian air defense to detect and hit a certain number of missiles using stealth technology. Reducing altitude requires more precise programming of the rocket's flight parameters. Obviously, the shipyard is covered by air defense, since it has already been hit before, and is located next to the Kerch Bridge, which the occupiers smoked. This shows that the enemy has established early warning and warnings against missile attacks, but Russian air defense is still unable to fully protect its Kerch facilities.


https://t.me/ButusovPlus/6022
206   Bd6r   2023 Nov 4, 7:57pm  

Eric Holder says

BREAKING: Unconfirmed reports about the Russian patrol ship “Pavel Derzhavin” having been blown up near Sevastopol today https://t.co/7al82RXEUp

CGI!CGI!CGI!

And please remember that Europe is freezing in 1…2…3…10000 years!!!
207   AD   2023 Nov 4, 11:29pm  

RWSGFY says

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched 15 Storm shadow cruise missiles at the small missile ship Karakurt in Kerch


Standard op is to launch using a Ukrainian SU-24 : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_Shadow#Use_by_Ukraine

.
208   Eric Holder   2023 Nov 6, 3:54pm  

RWS Ascold have been renamed RWS Cuckold:



https://youtu.be/RvJONuTbm-c
209   RWSGFY   2023 Nov 10, 7:58am  

Minus 2 amphibious ships overnight:

https://twitter.com/PStyle0ne1/status/1722897781495353453

This neat summary is from couple days before, so doesn't mention them:


210   DOGEWontAmountToShit   2023 Nov 15, 7:09pm  

WTF does this have to do with Ukraine being totally fucked in the land war that matters?

Nothing.

Even Ukraine’s isolated successes only serve to emphasize the enormous disparity in capabilities. For example, when the AFU uses western missiles to attack Russian ships in drydock, this is only possible because Russia has a navy. The Russians, in contrast, have a wide arsenal of anti-ship missiles that they are not using, because Ukraine does not have a navy. While the spectacle of a successful hit on a Russian vessel makes for nice PR, it only reveals the asymmetry in assets and does nothing to ameliorate Ukraine’s fundamental problem, which is the steady attrition and destruction of its ground forces in the Donbas.


https://bigserge.substack.com/p/russo-ukrainian-war-the-reckoning
211   DOGEWontAmountToShit   2023 Nov 15, 7:11pm  

In the third century, during China’s Three Kingdoms era (after the Han Dynasty broke apart into a trifurcated state in the early 200’s), there was a famous general and official named Sima Yi. While not as oft quoted as the better known Sun Tzu, Sima Yi has one pithy aphorism attributed to him which is better than anything in the Art of War. Sima Yi put the essence of warmaking the following way:

In military affairs there are five essential points. If able to attack, you must attack. If not able to attack, you must defend. If not able to defend, you must flee. The remaining two points entail only surrender or death.

Ukraine is working its way down the list. The events of the summer demonstrated that it cannot successfully attack strongly held Russian positions. Events in Avdivvka and elsewhere now test whether they can defend their position in the Donbas against rising Russian force generation. If they fail this test, it will be time to flee, surrender, or die. Such is the way of things when the time for reckoning comes.


https://bigserge.substack.com/p/russo-ukrainian-war-the-reckoning
212   AD   2023 Nov 15, 10:08pm  

PumpingRedheads says


Ukraine is working its way down the list. The events of the summer demonstrated that it cannot successfully attack strongly held Russian positions. Events in Avdivvka and elsewhere now test whether they can defend their position in the Donbas against rising Russian force generation. If they fail this test, it will be time to flee, surrender, or die. Such is the way of things when the time for reckoning comes.


I read that US and Russian officials met (in Pakistan?) recently. I wonder if some deal was worked out as far as winding down the war.

Perhaps let Russia occupy Donbas and let it have Crimea as part of that deal.

And bring in UN observers for Donbas, as well as not let Ukraine join NATO but allow them to keep their military.

Xi and Biden may be discussing the terms of this as well, and I can see Biden wanting this going into the election year.

.
214   Onvacation   2023 Nov 16, 7:53am  

ad says


Perhaps let Russia occupy Donbas and let it have Crimea

Don't they already own Donbas and Crimea?
215   socal2   2023 Nov 16, 8:31am  

PumpingRedheads says

WTF does this have to do with Ukraine being totally fucked in the land war that matters?


The Russian Navy can no longer target or threaten Ukrainian exports since Ukraine forced Russia to abandon its major Crimean Naval bases.

Ukraine doesn't have an economy if it can't export its grain through the Black Sea.

So kind of a big deal.
216   RWSGFY   2023 Nov 16, 9:46am  

PumpingRedheads says


WTF does this have to do with Ukraine being totally fucked in the land war that matters?

Nothing.


Au contraire, my friend: at the start of the war ze Red fleet was used to
put pressure on the North-Eastern shore of the Black Sea to the point of some warships popping up within artillery range of Odessa and landing ships with marines onboard lurking just below horizon. That fixed lots of forces there. Not anymore. Then there was a blocade, which was partially releaved by so-called "grain deal" and there was constant pressure of Reds exiting it with "dire consequences for Ze Global South".Not anymore: the moment came when their bluff was called, the Reds have withdrawn from the deal, but blocade was not restored, because they can't. And absent inspections which were happening under that deal one coukd suspect these grain ships are not coming to Ukie ports empty anymore. Then there are these missile barrages aimed to terrorize the civilian population - much of that was launched from vessels which aren't capable of doing it anymore, or ceased to exist. And lastly, the fate of Red Army in Dumb Ass very much depends on the health of their force in Crimea, supply routes it secures and aviation it hosts. That fleet was an integral part of Crimea defense. Not anymore. Andcwhen that bridge falls somebody would wish for more landing ships to paper them over.... Alas, most of them are gone. What is the word for constantly diminishing numbers and strength.... attrition? Nah, it can't be.

But hey, if achieving a somewhat stable front against an opponent you initially expected to roll in 3 days with an army supposedly capable of going against whole NATO iwhile your fleet is being turned into scrap is a victory, pop that Champaign.

It's just not a very common definition of victory, that's all.
218   RWSGFY   2023 Dec 25, 7:08pm  

Aaaand another Ropucha-class large amph landing ship is going up in smoke:



How many of these left now, three?
219   Bd6r   2023 Dec 25, 8:10pm  

CGI, clearly. Or something.
220   AD   2023 Dec 25, 8:36pm  

https://kyivindependent.com/ukrainian-air-force-destroys-russian-landing-ship-in-occupied-crimea/

"Earlier tonight, at around 3 a.m. local time, explosions were reported in the area of Feodosia. A ship with Iranian ammunition was reportedly blown up and a fire broke out in the port."

....

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