| Sevastopol Naval Base | |
|---|---|
Севастопольская военно-морская база Севастопольська військово-морська база | |
| Sevastopol,Crimea | |
 Satellite imagery of Sevastopol naval base | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Naval base |
| Owner | Disputed: |
| Operator |  Black Sea Fleet |
| Controlled by |  Russia |
| Condition | Operational |
| Location | |
  Sevastopol Naval Base | |
| Coordinates | 44°36′28″N33°31′48″E / 44.60778°N 33.53000°E /44.60778; 33.53000 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1772–1783 |
| Built by | Russian Empire |
| In use | 1783–present |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | Black Sea Fleet |
| Occupants |  Russian Navy |
TheSevastopol Naval Base (Russian:Севастопольская военно-морская база;Ukrainian:Севастопольська військово-морська база) is anaval base located inSevastopol, in thedisputedCrimean Peninsula. The base is used by theRussian Navy, and it is the main base of theBlack Sea Fleet. Internationally, the base is recognised as part of Ukrainian territory under Russian occupation.
The Sevastopol Naval Base is almost completely located within theadministrative territory of Sevastopol. It has several berths located in several bays of Sevastopol –Severnaya (Russian:Северная бухта;Ukrainian:Північна бухта),Yuzhnaya (Russian:Южная бухта;Ukrainian:Південна бухта),Karantinnaya (Russian:Карантинная бухта;Ukrainian:Карантинна бухта) and others.
The port was renovated in 1772, while theRusso-Turkish War was still ongoing, and was finished in 1783, following theannexation of Crimea by the Russian Empire. On 13 May 1783, the first eleven ships of theImperial Russian Navy reached theSevastopol Bay.[1]
During theCrimean War (1853–1856), all large ships werescuttled in the entrance to the bay in 1854 to prevent the entry of enemy ships into the bay. The citydefended itself for 349 days against the allied armies ofFrance,United Kingdom,Ottoman Empire andPiedmont-Sardinia. Eventually, the Russians had to abandon Sevastopol on 9 September 1855.[1]
DuringWorld War I, theImperial German Armyoccupied Sevastopol on 1 May 1918 despite the ongoing negotiations to reach theTreaty of Brest-Litovsk. After further negotiations, the most important ships of theBlack Sea Fleet inTsemes Bay in front ofNovorossiysk were sunk by their crews.[1]
During theCrimean campaign (1941–1942) ofWorld War II, the Black Sea Fleet of theSoviet Navy was able to fend off the first air attack by theNazi GermanLuftwaffe. However, after the citydefended itself for 250 days, Sevastopol fell to the Germans on 4 July 1942.[1]
After thedissolution of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991, the former Soviet Black Sea Fleet initially came under jurisdiction ofUnited Armed Forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The ownership over Black Sea Fleet as well as its home base in Sevastopol became a subject ofdispute between sovereign Russia and Ukraine.
In 1997, the Russian Federation and Ukraine signed thePartition Treaty on the Status and Conditions of the Black Sea Fleet which ended the dispute. Ukraine which allowed the Russian-allocated ships to remain on Ukrainian territory until 2017, sharing the Sevastopol Bay along with ships of theUkrainian Navy.
The lease arrangements were altered by the2010 Kharkiv Pact, which tied a 30% reduction in the price ofnatural gascharged by Russia since 2009 to the continued occupation of the naval base until 2042.[2]
From then on,Russia paid an annual lease toUkraine for the use of the baseuntil the annexation-eviction occurred in 2014.[3][4][2]
Since theannexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2014, the naval base is again under Russian control.[5]
On 13 September 2023,Storm Shadow missiles were used in a strike against theport of Sevastopol,[6] seriously damaging theKilo-class submarineRostov na Donu and seriously damaging (according to some sources, beyond repair[7]) theRopucha-class landing shipMinsk.[8][9][10]
On 22 September 2023, at least three Storm Shadow missileshit Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol, reportedly killing AdmiralViktor Nikolayevich Sokolov, commander of the Black Sea Fleet. Russia later released videos purporting to show him alive,[11] while Ukraine later said it was re-evaluating his claimed death.[12][13]
On 25 September 2023, Russian authorities have announced that they would demolish the existing headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet.[14]
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