25,000 personnel (includingmarines)[1] (in 2014) * 7 diesel/electric submarines (SSKs - 1 badly damaged in 2023, 2 operating in the Mediterranean/Baltic, 4 likely operational in the Black Sea as of 2025) * c. 23 frigates, corvettes/large patrol vessels likely operational as of 2025 (of which 6 deployed in the Mediterranean/Baltic/Caspian; at least 4 major warships/corvettes reported sunk & 2 badly damaged since 2022); * 4 major amphibious ships (+ 6 tasked to the Black Sea Fleet from the Northern & Baltic Fleets; at least 3 major amphibious vessels sunk and 2 badly damaged since 2022) * Other warships (mine countermeasures ships, smaller patrol vessels, landing craft) & numerous auxiliaires/support vessels also operational as of 2025[2][3][4][5][6]
The ongoingRusso-Ukrainian War led to major operations andlosses due to Ukrainian missiles andumanned surface vehicles including the flagshipMoskva and several landing vessels. Additionally, there was a2023 Ukrainian missile strike against the Black Sea Fleet HQ in Sevastopol itself.[7][8] After another attack on 24 March 2024, a Ukraine spokesperson said that they have disabled or damaged one third of the fleet during the war.[9] In June, Ukraine said was now highly likely that they had destroyed all of the Black Sea Fleet's missile carrier capability based in Crimea.[10] On 2 August 2024, another missile attack sank a Russian submarine that was under repair.
The Black Sea Fleet is considered to have been founded byPrince Potemkin on 13 May 1783, together with its principal base, the city ofSevastopol. Formerly commanded by admirals such asDmitry Senyavin andPavel Nakhimov, it is a fleet of great historical and political importance for Russia. During theRusso-Turkish War of 1787–1792 Russian control over Crimea was confirmed and Russian naval forces under the command of AdmiralFyodor Ushakov defeated theTurkish fleet at theBattle of Kerch Strait in 1790, preventing the Turks from landing a force in Crimea; while Ushakov's victoryat Tendra allowed the Russians to begin thesiege of Izmail, a potentOttoman stronghold by the Black Sea, which was twice besieged without effect.
During theFrench Revolutionary Wars, the Black Sea Fleet was initially deployed under the command of Admiral Ushakov, in conjunction with the Turks, against French forces during theSiege of Corfu. The victory led to the establishment of theSeptinsular 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 theRusso-Turkish War of 1806–1812. The Russian fleet (deploying from theBaltic, but joining some vessels of the Black Sea Fleet already in the Mediterranean prior to the outbreak of war)[11] under the command of AdmiralDmitry Senyavin played an instrumental role in this conflict securing victories at both theBattle of the Dardanelles (1807) and theBattle of Athos.
After the conclusion of theNapoleonic Wars, the Russians, together with the British and French, intervened in theGreek War of Independence defeating the Turkish fleet at theBattle of Navarino 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 renewedRusso-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 theStraits 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 theLondon Straits Convention.[12]
In 1853, the Black Sea Fleet destroyed Turkish naval forces at theBattle of Sinop after the Turks had declared war on Russia. Nevertheless, during the ensuingCrimean War, the Russians were placed on the defensive and the allies were able to land their forces in Crimea and, ultimately, captureSevastopol.[12]
As a result of the Crimean War, the 1856Treaty of Paris prohibited Russian naval units and fortifications on the Black Sea and neutralized the Black Sea.[13]
1877 conflict with Turkey
In 1870 Russia had repudiated the limitations imposed on its navy in the Treaty of Paris.[14] However, when theRusso-Turkish War of 1877–1878 began, Russian naval forces in the region remained weak. According to analysis by Alfred Brainard, during the "The lack of an effective Russian navy on the Black Sea dominated the Russian strategy in the Balkans throughout the war". In the aftermath of the conflict, Russia moved to reconstitute its naval strength and fortifications in the Black Sea so as to avoid facing similar vulnerability in the future.[15]
1905 revolution
The Black Sea Fleet would play an instrumental political role in the1905 Russian Revolution with the crew of the battleshipPotemkin revolting in 1905 soon after the Navy's defeat in theRusso-Japanese War. The revolt acquired a symbolic character in the lead up to theRussian Revolutions of 1917 and after, as portrayed in the 1925 film by Sergei Eisenstein,Battleship Potemkin.Lenin referred to thePotemkin uprising as “the dress rehearsal” for the 1917 Revolution.[16]
In 1918, some elements of the fleet were interned by theCentral Powers as a result of their advance into South Russia. In the AprilCrimea operation, the goal of both Ukrainians and Germans was to get control over the Black Sea Fleet, anchored inSevastopol. Former Chief of StaffMikhail Sablin raised the colours of theUkrainian National Republic on 29 April 1918,[19] and moved a portion of theUkrainian fleet (two battleships and fourteen destroyers) toNovorossiysk in order to save it from capture by the Germans.
The Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, c. 1916
He was ordered to scuttle his ships byLenin but refused to do so. Most ships returned to Sevastopol, where they first came under German control. In November 1918 they came under control of the Allies, who later gave the ships toWrangel's fleet of theWhites.
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 theWestern Allies. During the ensuingRussian Civil War, the chaotic political and strategic situation in southern Russia permitted theintervening Western allies to occupy Odessa, Sevastopol and other centres with relative ease.[20]
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 in 1920, the fleet itself sailed toConstantinople together with 126 ships of all types, carrying 150,000 refugees.[21] Out of the former ships of the Black Sea Fleet, some passed to theFrench Navy while others were sold as scrap.
With the defeat of the anti-BolshevikArmed 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. Initially the focus was defensive, focusing on the construction of large numbers of smaller submarines. However, from about 1935 the Soviet building program also began more systematically to incorporate larger vessels, including cruisers and destroyers.[22] The Black Sea Fleet was commanded by Vice AdmiralF.S. Oktyabrskiy on the outbreak of war with Germany in June 1941.
Soviet hospital shipArmenia was sunk on 7 November 1941 by German aircraft while evacuating civilians and wounded soldiers fromCrimea. It has been estimated that approximately 5,000 to 7,000 people were killed during the sinking, making it one of the deadliestmaritime disasters in history. There were only 8 survivors.[24]
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 theWarsaw Pact, the Romanian and Bulgarian navies supplemented the strength of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet.[25] Only Turkey remained outside the Soviet Black Sea security regime and the Soviets initially pressed for joint control of theBosporus Straits with Turkey; a position which Turkey rejected.[26]
In 1952,Turkey decided to joinNATO, placing the Bosporus Straits in the Westernsphere of influence. Nevertheless, the terms of theMontreux 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.[27]
Monument to Heroes of theSoviet Black Sea Fleet Squadron 1941–1944 in Sevastopol, featuring the list of 28 military ships that distinguished themselves in battles with German invaders
In 1988 Coastal Troops and Naval Aviation units of the Black Sea Fleet included:[29]
The 43rd Aviation Sevastopol Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Regiment of Fighter-Bombers, after being included in the Air Force of the Red Banner Black Sea Fleet on 1 December 1990, was renamed the 43rd Separate Naval Assault Aviation Sevastopol Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Regiment.
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 the early 1990s the fleet had 645 ships and 72,000 personnel.[33]
In 1992, the major part of the personnel, armaments and coastal facilities of the Fleet fell under formal jurisdiction of the newly independentUkraine as they were situated on Ukrainian territory. Later, the Ukrainian government ordered the establishment of its ownUkrainian 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.[34] They have also claimed that their names were branded "traitors to Russia" on local graffiti.[34] Simultaneously, pro-Russianseparatist groups became active in the local politics of Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol where the major naval bases were situated, and started coordinating their efforts with pro-Moscow seamen.
During this time theGeorgian Civil War broke out. Fighting erupted between two separatist minorities ofSouth Ossetia andAbkhazia supported byRussia on one side and the Georgian government led byZviad Gamsakhurdia on the other. However, he was ousted during the so-calledTbilisi War in 1991. The new government continued the fighting against the break-away republics, but at the same time asked Russia's presidentBoris Yeltsin for support against the 'Zviadists' who were trying to regain power. This led to the Black Sea Fleet landing in Georgia (despite the unsettled dispute over ownership of the fleet), and resulted in theBattle of Poti.[35]
Joint Fleet and its partition
PresidentsLeonid 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,[36] establishing a joint Russo-Ukrainian Black Sea Fleet under bilateral command (andSoviet 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.
In 1996 the 126th Motor Rifle Division was disestablished.
Moscow mayorYuriy Luzhkov campaigned to annex the city of Sevastopol, which housed the fleet's headquarters andmain naval base, and in December the RussianFederation Council officially endorsed the claim. Spurred by these territorial claims, Ukraine proposed a "special partnership" with NATO in January 1997.[37]
Some major ships of the Soviet and Russian Black Sea Fleet (including the flagshipMoskva, far left) in Sevastopol, August 2007
On 28 May 1997, Russia and Ukraine signed several agreements regarding the fleet including thePartition Treaty, establishing two independent national fleets and dividing armaments and bases between them.[38] Ukraine agreed to lease major parts of its facilities to the Russian Black Sea Fleet until 2017.[39] However, permanent tensions on the lease details continued. The Fleet's main base was still situated in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol. In 2009 theYushchenko Ukrainian government declared that the lease would not be extended and that the fleet would have to leave Sevastopol by 2017.[40]
Due to the lack of fleet facilities in Russia, the former naval area at thePort of Novorossiysk was revived in September 1994, and officially reorganised as Novorossiysk Naval Base in 1997.[11] 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.[citation needed]
In April 2010 PresidentYanukovych renegotiated andextended 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.[41][42][43][44][45] It appeared to violate the constitutional ban on basing foreign military forces, and would eventually lead to high treason charges.[citation needed]
In this regard, relations between Russia and Ukraine over the status of the Fleet continued to be strained. In an August 2009 letter to RussianPresident Medvedev, Ukrainian President Yushchenko complained about alleged "infringements of bilateral agreements and Ukrainian legislation"[46]
Vladimir Putin with Ukrainian PresidentLeonid Kuchma on board the flagshipMoskva, July 2001
In June 2009, the head of theSecurity Service of Ukraine said that after 13 December 2009, all officers from the RussianFederal 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.[47] However, according to theRussian Foreign Ministry, employees of the FSB working at the Black Sea Fleet facilities were to remain on Ukrainian territory "in line with bilateral agreements".[48] In 2010, based on an agreement between the Ukrainian and Russian governments,military counterintelligenceofficers from the Federal Security Service returned to the Black Sea Fleet base.[49]
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.[50] In May 2011, Russia and Ukraine resumed their joint "Peace Fairway" (Farvater Mira) naval exercises.[51]
Georgia in the Fleet partition
The newly independent nation ofGeorgia, which also hosted several bases of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet when it was theGeorgian SSR, also claimed a share of the Fleet, including 32 naval vessels formerly stationed at Georgia's Black Sea port ofPoti. Not aCIS 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.[52]
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 deterioratingGeorgian-Russian relations. This time, Ukraine endorsedTbilisi's claims, turning over several patrol boats to theGeorgian 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.[52] 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 the2008 Georgian conflict. Russian units operating off Abkhazia region resulted in a reportedskirmish and sinking of a ship of the Georgian Navy. Since the2008 South Ossetia war the Russian Black Sea Fleet has not taken part in any joint naval exercises involving Georgian warships.[53] 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).[54]
The2014 political crisis in Ukraine rapidly engulfed Crimea where pro-Russian separatist sentiment was strong.[55][56][57][better source needed] 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 the18th Motor Rifle Brigade,31st Air Assault Brigade and22nd Spetsnaz Brigade were deployed and operating in Crimea, instead of Black Sea Fleet personnel, which violated international agreements signed by Ukraine and Russia.[58][59] Nevertheless, at minimum the Black Sea Fleet played a supporting role including with respect to preventing the departure of Ukrainian naval vessels from Crimea.[60] Other sources suggested that the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Fleet was also involved.[61]
After the annexation of Crimea, theUkrainian Armed Forces and the Ukrainian Navy were evicted from their bases and subsequently withdrew from the peninsula.[62] During the occupation, Russian forces seized 54 out of 67 ships of the Ukrainian Navy.[63][unreliable source] According to sources from Black Sea Fleet Headquarters, inspections of all ships were to be done by the end of 2014.[64][better source needed] On 8 April 2014 an agreement was reached between Russia and Ukraine to return Ukrainian Navy materials to Ukraine proper.[65] The greater portion of the Ukrainian naval ships and vessels were then returned to Ukraine but Russia suspended this process afterUkraine did not renew its unilaterally declared ceasefire on 1 July 2014 in the conflict in the Donbas.[66] According to the fleet commanderAleksandr Vitko, this happened because the vessels were old "and, if used [by Ukraine], could hurt its own people".[67]
This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(March 2024)
Exercises of the air defense system regiment of the army corps of the Black Sea Fleet
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 the vast majority of the international community. 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 USNaval War College suggested that since the Russian seizure of Crimea, the modernization of Russian shore-based assets and of the Black Sea Fleet itself assisted in re-establishing Russian military dominance in the region. Specifically Peterson argued in 2019: "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".[69]
Prior to the annexation of Crimea,[when?] divergent announcements had been made concerning the future composition of the fleet. In June 2010, Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief AdmiralVladimir 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.[citation needed] These vessels were to partially replace the reported decommissioning ofKerch,Ochakov (decommissioned in 2011 and sunk as ablockship in 2014), several large support ships, and a diesel-electric submarine. Also in 2010, Russian Navy Headquarters sources projected that, by 2020, six frigates of theProject 22350Admiral Gorshkov class, six submarines ofProject 677 Lada class, two large landing ships ofProject 11711Ivan Gren class and four class-unspecified ships would be delivered. Due to the obsolescence of theBeriev Be-12 by 2015, they were planned to be replaced withIl-38s.Sukhoi Su-24M aircraft were planned to be upgraded to Su-24M2 at the same time.[70][71][72][needs update]
Since the annexation of Crimea, the composition of the Black Sea Fleet shifted focus to theImproved Kilo-class submarines instead of the Lada, theAdmiral Grigorovich-class frigates and at least three new classes of missile corvettes (theSteregushchiy,Karakurt andBuyan-M classes). The deployment of theAdmiral Gorshkov-class frigate with the Black Sea Fleet was still anticipated, though in reduced numbers.[73] The replacement of the Black Sea Fleet's Soviet-era missile boats and corvettes with vessels of more modern design had been a priority since 2010. A similar modernization is also taking place in the Baltic Fleet and theCaspian 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.[74] Analysis in May 2022 suggested that it might be feasible for the Russian Navy even to move itsKilo-class submarines between the Black Sea and the Baltic via the internal waterways.[75]
The projection of power into the Mediterranean also returned[when?] as a significant role for the Black Sea Fleet with the creation of the Russian Navy'spermanent task force in the Mediterranean. Both the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla have supportedRussian involvement in the Syrian Civil War with units from the former now routinely deployed into the Mediterranean.[76][77][78] The deployment of submarines from the Black Sea Fleet to the Mediterranean has become[when?] a routine occurrence (though the need to send them for "maintenance" in the Baltic, so as to comply with terms of theMontreux Convention, lengthens the timeframe of such deployments significantly).[79][full citation needed] In late 2021 it was reported that one of the newPriboy-class helicopter assault ships, theMitrofan Moskalenko, had been earmarked to enter service with the Black Sea Fleet "within the next few years" in the role of fleet flagship.[80] If confirmed such a deployment would significantly enhance the fleet's power projection capabilities.[according to whom?]
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 in 2018 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 ofS-400,Bastion-P andBal missiles allows the Russian military to establish ananti-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".[81]
As of 2020[update], ongoing technological upgrades of this already robust SAM network were planned during the 2020s.[82] Others, such asMichael Kofman of CNA, argued in 2019 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.[83]
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.[84] 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.[85]
In 2020, the Black Sea Fleet obtained seven new warships and auxiliary ships, including corvetteGrayvoron, patrol shipPavel Derzhavin, seagoing tugSergey Balk, as well as a harbour tugs and three hydrographic survey vessels. In 2021, Russian sources said that the same number of vessels should enter service.[86][needs update]
Russo-Ukrainian naval standoff
On 29 January 2021, three US naval vessels entered the Black Sea for the first time in three years.[87] On 1 February, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky argued for NATO membership for Ukraine.[88] On 19 March, another significant US naval deployment to the Black Sea took place, as cruiser USSMonterey and destroyer USSThomas Hudner entered the sea on 19 and 20 March respectively.[89][90] Prior to the scheduled deployment, on 12 March Russian cruiserMoskva 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.[91][92]
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-GeneralJens Stoltenberg pressuring NATO to speed up Ukrainian path to the membership.[93] On 8 April, Russia started moving ten of its Caspian Flotilla warships to the Black Sea. Six amphibious and three artillery boats ofSerna andShmel classes, as well as a hydrographic boat GS-599, were reported in transit, while Black Sea Fleet frigateAdmiral Essen conducted an artillery exercise, usually done to raise the readiness for the amphibious landing.[94][95][96][97][98] The same day, the US decided to send two warships to the Black Sea.[99]
On 9 April 2021, tensions rose further and Ukraine promised not to attack the separatists, while Russia considered intervening.[100][101] On the same day, two Black Sea Fleet corvettes,Vishny Volochyok andGravoron, conducted an exercise.[102] The two US destroyers were clarified by Turkey to be USSRoosevelt and USSDonald Cook, while Putin stressed the importance of the Montreux Convention in a telephone conversation with Turkish president Recep Erdogan.[103][104] On 14 April, the deployment of the two US destroyers was cancelled.[105] On 17 April, amphibious shipsAleksandr Otrakovsky andKondoponga of the Northern Fleet andKaliningrad andKorolyov of the Baltic Fleet strengthened the amphibious warfare capabilities of the Black Sea Fleet.[106] On 30 April, the cruiserMoskva fired a Vulkan anti-ship missile for the first time.[107]
In November, further tensions started amidst the build-up of Russian ground forces on the Ukraine border. On 2 November, the destroyerUSSPorter[108] entered the Black Sea, followed on 25 November by the destroyerUSSArleigh Burke.[109] In late October, the Russian Black Sea fleet held a large exercise with a cruiser, a frigate and three corvettes.[110]
On 23 June 2021, the United Kingdom'sHMS Defender undertook afreedom of navigation patrol through the disputed waters around the Crimean Peninsula.[111] TheMinistry of Defence of the Russian Federation and border guards said they firedwarning shots from coast guard patrol ships and dropped bombs from a Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft in the path ofDefender after, according to theRussian Defence Ministry, it had allegedly strayed for about 20 minutes as far as 3 km (2 miles) into waters off the coast of Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014 in a move mostlyunrecognised internationally.[112][113] The UK military denied any warning shots were fired and said the ship was ininnocent passage in Ukraine'sterritorial sea, later clarifying that heavy guns were fired three miles astern and could not be considered to be warning shots.[114][115][116]
The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022 and it was initially reported that this included an amphibious landing atOdesa by elements ofRussian Naval Infantry and the Black Sea Fleet.[122] However, the report of a landing at Odesa on 24 February subsequently proved to be false.[123] On 24 February 2022, the cruiserMoskva and the patrol shipVasily Bykov bombardedSnake Island in the Danube Delta and captured it from its Ukrainian garrison.[124] On 26 February 2022 it was reported that Russian forces made an amphibious assault atMariupol 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 Odesa.[125]
On 28 February 2022, Turkey indicated that it was closing theDardanelles Straits to all foreign warships for the duration of the conflict. Turkish Foreign MinisterMevlüt Çavuşoğlu argued that the move was consistent with terms of the Montreux Convention. An exception would be allowed for Russian ships returning from the Mediterranean to Black Sea bases where they were registered.[126][127]
As of early March 2022, the Ukrainian navy was confirmed to have lost two vessels: the frigateHetman Sahaidachny, scuttled by its crew to avoid capture,[128] and the patrol vesselSloviansk, reported sunk by Russian action on 3 March 2022.[129] On 7 March 2022 it was reported that the Russian patrol shipVasily Bykov may have been damaged by Ukrainian shore-based multiple-launch rocket fire.[130] However, the ship was subsequently reported as having entered Sevastopol on 16 March 2022 with no obvious damage.[131]
On 24 March 2022, the Ukrainian military hit and destroyed the RussianTapir-class landing shipSaratov at thePort of Berdiansk.[136] In July 2022 it became known thatSaratov had been salvaged and would be towed toKerch, Crimea.[137] Two other RussianRopucha-class landing ships, theTsezar Kunikov, and theNovocherkassk, that were docked nearby sailed away, with fire and smoke billowing out of one.[138][139][140][141]
On 30 March 2022 it was reported that, as part of an operation by Russian special forces, the Ukrainian navy Project 1824B reconnaissance shipPereyaslav was reportedly hit by gunfire at the mouth of the Dnieper river. The extent of the damage was unknown.[142]
Also in March 2022, the Russian Navy bombed several civilian ships, including a cargo ship belonging to Bangladesh.[143]
On 13 April 2022,Moskva, the fleet's flagship,was severely damaged after an explosion. The Ukrainian government claimed it had hit the ship with twoNeptune cruise missiles.[144] The Russian government claimed the damage was a result of an ammunition explosion.[145] According to the Russian government, everyone on the ship was evacuated.[146] On 14 April, the Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed the ship had sunk.[147] 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 Odesa.[148] On 6 May 2022 a letter from the Black Sea Fleet's prosecutor general's office to the family of one of the sailors lost on theMoskva was made public. Families will not be receiving compensation as "the sinking took place in international waters by accident".[149]
On 8 May 2022, 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.[151]
In the first week of May 2022, a video appeared of a Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 drone hitting and sinking a BK-16 high-speed assault boat near Snake Island.[152] The wreck was later recovered.[153]
On 12 May 2022, Ukrainian news media carried reports that, according to the Odesa military spokesman, the Russian logistics vesselVsevolod Bobrov was on fire near Snake Island.[154][155][156] Russia denied the claims.[157] Three days later, a US-backed media outlet carried photographs of the ship unharmed moored at Sevastopol.[158] The ship was also seen with thePantsir-S mobile surface-to-air missile system on board while docked in Sevastopol.[159]
On 15 May 2022, four Kalibr missiles launched from the Black Sea hit Ukrainian military facilities atYavoriv, nearLviv. The attack was "probably" carried out by submarines.[160]Lviv region's Governor Maxim Kozitsky acknowledged that the target was "completely destroyed".[161]
On 17 May 2022, 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.[162][163] 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.[164]
On 17 June 2022, Russian rescue tugVasily Bekh was reportedly sunk due to two hits by anti-ship missiles (putativelyHarpoons) while carrying personnel, weapons, and ammunition to resupply Russian-occupied Snake Island.[165]
On 31 July 2022, a drone strike at the fleet headquarters in Sevastopol wounded several people and forced the cancellation of Navy Day commemorations.[166][167]
On 9 August 2022,huge explosions occurred atSaky 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."[168] On 16 August 2022, Hvardiiske airbase, a large ammunition dump in Maiske, and an electrical substation in Dzhankoi were hit with explosions, and on 19 August 2022, large explosions were heard at Belbek and Russian antiaircraft batteries were active around theCrimean Bridge at Kerch.[169]
On 17 August 2022, Russian state media announced that Viktor Sokolov had been appointed commander of the fleet without any ceremony, apparently due to theyellow terrorist threat following a series of explosions.[170]
On 29 October 2022, Ukrainian forces used an Unmanned Aerial and Submarine Vehicle to strike Russian forces in Sevastopol, Crimea. According to Russia, Ukrainian UAVs slightly damaged theNatya-class minesweeperIvan Golubets.[171]
On 4 August 2023, near the Port of Novorossiysk, the Project 775 Ropucha-class landing shipOlenegorsky Gornyak was seriously damaged by a joint effort of the Ukrainian SBU and the Ukrainian Navy, possibly using asea drone, and towed to port by the Russian Navy. Following the attack the Ukrainian Navy reported Russian ships leaving port and to some extent dispersing in the Black Sea.[173]
On 13 September 2023,Storm Shadows were used in a strike against the Sevastopol port,[174] seriously damaging theRostov na Donu submarine and seriously damaging (according to some sources, beyond repair[175]) the Ropucha-class landing shipMinsk.[176][177][178]
On 22 September 2023, at least three Storm Shadow missileshit the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol.[7][8]
On 4 November 2023, Ukrainian forces struckZalyv Shipbuilding yard in Russian-occupied Kerch, Crimea, withcruise missiles, damaging the relatively new Karakurt-class corvetteAskold(ru), which carries Kalibur cruise missiles.[179] On 6 November 2023 president Zelensky stated that the ship was destroyed.[180]
On 25 December 2023, the large landing shipNovocherkassk was struck by Ukrainian aircraft carrying guided missiles inPort of Feodosiya.[181][182]
Late December 2023, Ukraine hit and destroyed a Russian project 205P "Tarantul" (NATO designation:Stenka) guard ship in the port of Sevastopol.[183][184]
On 1 February 2024, Ukraine released video claiming to show the sinking of theR-334 Ivanovets using USVs.[185][186]
On 14 February 2024, Ukraine released a video showing the sinking of the Ropucha-class landing shipTsezar Kunikov off the coast of Crimea.[186]
On 5 March 2024Sergey Kotov was attacked (again) by maritime drones, with Ukrainian intelligence claiming that the ship was sunk.[187][188]
On 23 March 2024, the defense forces of Ukraine hit the Ropucha-class landing shipsYamal andAzov. Additionally, they said they hit the landing shipKostiantyn Olshansky which had previously been part of the Ukrainian navy before 2014.[9]
By March 2024, Ukraine's Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk said they had disabled or destroyed one third of the Russian Black Sea fleet.[9]
On 6 June 2024, a Project 498 "Saturn" tugboat was destroyed by a Ukrainian naval strike.[189]
The Black Sea Fleet, and other Russian ground and air forces in Crimea, are subordinate to theSouthern Military District 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 the4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army.[194] TheRussian Coast Guard andNational 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.[195][196] As of 2025, the Russian Coast Guard was said to deploy about 74 patrol vessels of various types in the Black Sea.[197]
Since the start of theRusso-Ukraine War, the Black Sea Fleet has experienced serious losses in ships and materiel. However, in the context of a conflict that is still ongoing, descriptions of the fleet's order of battle may, at times, be necessarily imprecise.[198] The information presented below constitutes best estimates on the state of the Black Sea Fleet based on open sources. For a broader list of Russian and Ukrainian ship losses in the war see:
Active in the Baltic and Mediterranean as of 2024;[209][210] restricted in entering the Black Sea due to the Russo-Ukraine War and because of limitations imposed by Turkey on the use of theBosphorus Strait[211][212]
Active; deployed in the Mediterranean/Baltic since start of Russo-Ukraine War; reportedly damaged by serious fuel system malfunction in the Mediterranean in September 2025[3][215][216][217][218][219]
Heavily damaged by a Ukrainian cruise missile strike while dry docked at Sevastopol on 12 September 2023;[4] claimed sunk by Ukraine in a second strike in August 2024[220]
Active; damaged in collision with civilian tanker August 2025 while undertaking evasive manoeuvres in the face of a drone attack[240][3][241][242][243]
Deployed to the Black Sea via inland waterways in 2023 & reported at Novorossiysk;[251] reported in the Caspian as of May 2024[252] and active as of April 2025[253]
TBC
Askold?
Projected 2024 (not yet commissioned when attacked)
Damaged by a Ukrainian cruise missile strike on the portKerch on 4 November 2023[254][255] Ukraine claimed the destruction of the ship;[256] other reports suggest that repairs were being attempted as of late 2023[257]
577
Typhoon
2025
Delivered in 2025 and reported active participating in exercises in the Caspian as of April[253][258]
Karakurt-class corvetteTsiklon claimed destroyed by Ukrainian officials in May 2024;[259][260] Russian sources seemingly confirmed the ship's destruction.[261][262]
Both active at the start of the Russo-Ukraine War;[246][267]Muromets reported active and receiving new camouflage as of 2023;[268] twoGrisha-class vessels reported relocated from Crimea to the eastern Black Sea in 2024 & one vessel may have been damaged by fire (specific ship, cause & extent unknown) in November 2025[269]
Originally assigned to the Baltic Fleet, but serving in the Black Sea Fleet as of 2022; damaged in 2022 Ukrainian attack but reported to have undergone repairs[280]
845
P-345 Buyevlyanin?
2015
Ukrainian officials released three separate videos showing six Raptor-class boats damaged/destroyed in 2022;[150][281][151] some may have been repaired but at least three Raptor-class boats listed as destroyed as of mid-2024;[282] some Raptors reported operational atTartus naval base in Syria as of late 2024[283] (See also: 136th Anti-Saboteur Squadron, below)
Both active at the start of the Russo-Ukraine War;[238][246] twoGrisha-class vessels reported relocated from Crimea to the eastern Black Sea in 2024 & one vessel may have been damaged by fire (specific ship, cause & extent unknown) in November 2025[269]
Active as of the start of the Russo-Ukraine war[289][245][290]
363
Pavel Derzhavin
2020
Reported damaged by Ukrainian naval drone attack on 12 October 2023;[291] as of 2024 reported repaired and re-located from Crimea to the eastern Black Sea[292]
417
Viktor Velikiy
2025
Active and operating in the Baltic/Mediterranean as of 2025[293][294]
Project 22160 shipSergey Kotov reported damaged & claimed as sunk by Ukrainian naval drone attack on 14 September 2023;[295] She was still afloat when attacked again by maritime drones, with Ukraine again claiming the vessel sunk in March 2024.[187][188] As of mid-2024, other sources also reported her as sunk.[296]
Ukrainian officials released video of a Serna-class landing craft being destroyed by aBayraktar TB2 drone at Snake Island in early May 2022;[151] the destruction of two other Serna-class craft was claimed by Ukraine in November 2023[299]
Ondatra-class landing craftSvatovo (ex-D-305) may be in service with the Black Sea Fleet; reported to have been captured from the Ukrainian Navy in March 2022[301]
Reported in the Mediterranean at the start of the Russo-Ukraine War;[302] may have been abandoned atTartus naval base in Syria in late 2024/early 2025[303]
841
Suvorovets
2012
Reported damaged in drone attack in August 2023; status unknown[304]
Ukrainian officials released three separate videos showing six Raptor-class boats damaged/destroyed in 2022;[150][281][151] some may have been repaired but at least three Raptor-class boats listed as destroyed as of mid-2024;[282] some Raptors reported operational atTartus naval base in Syria as of late 2024[305]
?
P-275?
?
P-276?
Major amphibious vessels: 197th Assault Ship Brigade
Three Black Sea Fleet vessels, theAlligator-class landing shipSaratov and theRopucha-class landing shipsTsezar Kunikov andNovocherkassk, have been confirmed as sunk:Sartov in March 2022 attack atBerdyansk,Novocherkassk in a cruise missile strike in December 2023,[318][319] andTsezar Kunikov in February 2024 attack off Crimea.[320][321]
388th Marine Reconnaissance Point/1229th Naval Intelligence Center
one Project 02510 (presumably D-310 — OSINT) claimed destroyed by aBayraktar TB2 drone at Snake Island in 2022;[323] another BK-16 reported attacked and destroyed or damaged in August 2025;[324] Russian production and deployment of additional BK-16s reported as a potential priority as of 2024[325]
Ukraine claimed to have damaged the vessel in a USV attack in May 2023. The ship was later recorded returning to port with limited apparent damage.[340][245]
Arrived in the Black Sea January 2022[353] Claimed by Ukraine officials to have suffered major fire damage night of 11–12 May 2022 after an attack,[354][355] but returned unharmed to Sevastopol on 15 May 2022.[158]
TheProject 23130 replenishment oiler,Vasiliy Nikitin (commissioned April 2025), is reportedly tasked to the Black Sea Fleet but has been built at theSredne-Nevsky Shipyard in the Baltic and is likely to operate in the Baltic/Atlantic for at least the duration of current hostilities[356][357]
382nd Naval Infantry Battalion? (Status unclear as of 2021)[citation needed]
388th Maritime Recon Point (Special Forces battalion)[368]
Black Sea Fleet aviation and air defence forces
The 2nd Guards Naval Aviation Division is part of the Black Sea Fleet.[70][71][372][373] The 27th Composite [or "Mixed", depending on translation] Aviation Division is part of the4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army.
43rd Independent NavalShturmovik [Assault Aviation] Regiment[374] – HQ at Gvardeyskoye, Crimea – 18xSu-24M; 4xSu-24MR (being replaced bySukhoi Su-30SMs as of 2019;[375]c. 12 Su-30SMs reported active with the regiment as of 2021/22; Ukraine claims seven destroyed as of August 2025;[376][377] total Russian Su-30M2/SM inventory said to consist of c. 110 aircraft as of mid-2025)[378]
Reported Russian Su-24 losses said to amount to between 10 and 20 aircraft as of the end of 2024; reserve stocks of approximately 100 Su-24s may allow for losses to be absorbed, though Su-24 operations may have been curtailed due to the aging aircraft's vulnerability[381]
Reported Russian Su-25 losses said to amount to c. 33 aircraft as of late 2024; total stocks of 200 Su-25s reported; like Su-24, Su-25 is considered vulnerable in modern combat environment[382]
39th Helicopter Regiment (Dzhankoi) has been equipped withMi-35M attack helicopters,[368]Ka-52,Mi-28N, andMi-8AMTSh helicopters (as of 2016);[380]Dzhankoi, also site forS-400 SAM systems, attacked by Ukrainian missile strike in April 2024 (damage unconfirmed)[385]
31st Air Defense Division (HQ: Sevastopol) subordinate to the 4th Air and Air Defense Forces Army (HQ: Rostov-on-Don)[367][386]
History of the 43rd Guards Naval Assault Aviation Regiment
The 43rd Guards Naval Assault Aviation Regiment traces its history to the 43rd Fighter Aviation Regiment (ru:43-й истребительный авиационный полк). The regiment began its formation in May 1938 and was finally formed on 11 or 13 May 1938 in theKiev Special Military District atVasylkiv airfield from the 71st, 5th and 109th separate fighter aviation squadrons.[388] It joined the 51st Aviation Brigade of the Air Forces of the Kiev Special Military District.
The regiment's first commander from summer 1938 was Vladimir Sryvkin (ru:Срывкин, Владимир Алексеевич).[389] Major Sryvkin handed over command in 1939 and became assistant commander of the 72nd Fighter Aviation Brigade. In May 1944, he died of wounds received in action.
On 22 June 1941, the regiment was still located at Vasylkiv, forming part of the 36th Fighter Aviation Division of the Air Defence Forces of the Kiev Special Military District.[390]
Over the entire period of its existence, the regiment was repeatedly reorganized and changed its name depending on the honorary titles assigned, awards and changes in the type of aviation:
The 43rd Fighter Aviation Regiment on 9 June 1942 was reorganized into the 43rd Mixed Aviation Regiment. The 43rd Mixed Aviation Regiment was reorganized on 21 June 1942 into the 43rd Fighter Aviation Regiment.[3]
The 43rd Fighter Aviation Sevastopol Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Regiment on 1 April 1960 was renamed the 43rd Aviation Sevastopol Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Regiment of Fighter-Bombers (APIB).
The 43rd Aviation Sevastopol Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Regiment of Fighter-Bombers, after being included in the Air Force of the Red Banner Black Sea Fleet on 1 December 1990, was renamed the 43rd Separate Naval Assault Aviation Sevastopol Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Regiment.
In connection with the reduction of the Russian Air Force, the 43rd Separate Marine Assault Aviation Sevastopol Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Regiment was reorganized on 1 October 1995 into the 43rd Separate Marine Assault Aviation Sevastopol Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Squadron.
In December 2004, the squadron was upgraded to a regiment once again. The 43rd separate naval assault aviation Sevastopol Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Regiment in connection with the ongoing reform of the RF Armed Forces in 2009 was renamed the 7058th Aviation Sevastopol Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Naval Aviation Base of the Russian Federation.
The 43rd separate naval assault aviation Sevastopol Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Naval Aviation Regiment of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation was re-formed in 2014 at the Novofedorovka airfield near the city of Saki.
The regiment was part of the "active army" (in front-line combat service) for six periods between 22 July 1941 and 9 May 1945.[391]
Incidents
The Russian Black Sea Fleet's (BSF) use of leased facilities in Sevastopol 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 (NPT)[46]
The BSF transported rockets repeatedly through the port of Sevastopol without seeking permission from Ukrainian authorities.[46]
Alighthouse is located on the headland which, starting in 2005, was the subject of a controversy between Ukraine and Russia. From 3 August 2005, the lighthouse was occupied by the Russian military.[392] 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.[393] As a military facility, the territory around the Sarych headland is closed to trespassers with barbed wire, and theRussian flag flew over Sarych.[394]
20 June 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 andVladimir Putin, and also to the RussianMinister of DefenseAnatoliy Serdyukov with respect to the contract violations, but those did not yield results.[395]
On 27 August 2009,Russian marines successfully prevented Ukrainian bailiffs from enforcing a Ukrainian court ruling on seizing lighthouses belonging to the BSF.[46] The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry described the Russian obstruction as a "disregard for Ukrainian legislation and international agreements".[46]
On 16 April 2013, a "high-ranking Russian Defense Ministry official" complained toInterfax that "Ukraine's stubborn position" was slowing the cancellation of customs payments (for the fleet) and that Ukraine still upheld (former)Ukrainian PresidentViktor Yushchenko's 2008 decrees that banned the "relaxed procedure" of BSF formations crossing the Ukrainian border.[396]
On 22 September 2023, Ukraine hit the headquarters of the BSF using a Storm Shadow missile, killing at least 6 people.[398]
on 1 February 2024, Ukraine released video purported to show the sinking of the Tarantul-class vesselIvanovets by unmanned surface vehicle.[399][400]
On 5 March 2024, theSergey Kotov patrol vessel was sunk using Magura V5 naval drone.[401]
On 23 March 2024, The defense forces of Ukraine hit the Russian largeamphibiousRopucha-class landingshipsYamal. According to Ukraine's militaryintelligence, theYamal warship suffered critical damage: a hole in the upperdeck caused it to roll to the starboard side.[402]
On 19 May 2024, Ukrainian forces destroyed the Project 22800 Karakurt classTsiklon missile corvette in the port of Sevastopol withATACMS missiles.[403][404]
On 12 November 2024, Valery Trankovsky, Captain of the 1st Rank and chief of staff of a missile boat brigade, was killed in acar bomb explosion in Crimea. The Russian government opened a terrorism investigation.[405][406]
^Altman, Jonathan (Winter 2016). "Russian A2/AD in the Eastern Mediterranean: A Growing Risk".Naval War College Review.69 (1). Newport, Rhode Island: U.S. Naval War College: 72.ISSN0028-1484.
^Alexandrov, Ilya (16 May 2017)."В водах Крыма заметили новейшие катера БК-18" [The newest BK-18 boats spotted in Crimean waters].Political Puzzle (in Russian).Archived from the original on 14 October 2017. Retrieved13 October 2017.
^Ozberk, Tayfun (26 May 2023)."Russian Intelligence Ship Seemingly Hit By Ukrainian USV".Naval News.Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved12 June 2023.The Ivan Khurs AGI ship appears to have made it back safely at its homeport of Sevastopol this morning (26 May 2023) under its own power and seemingly with little to no damages
^Коллектив авторов. Великая Отечественная: Комдивы. Военный биографический словарь / В. П. Горемыкин. — М.: Кучково поле, 2014. — Т. 2. — С. 828. — 1000 экз. — ISBN 978-5-9950-0341-0.
^Collective Authors. Percheni № 12 Aviation Regiments Военно-воздушных сил Красной армии, входивших в состав Действующей армии в годы Великой Отечественной войны 1941—1945 гг. / Покровский. — Министерство обороны СССР. Военно-научное управление Генерального Штаба. — Москва: Воениздат, 1960. — Т. Приложение к директиве Генерального штаба от 18 января 1960 г. № 170023. — 96 pages.
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