Putin Fires Naval Commander-in-Chief After 'Significant' Black Sea Losses, Intelligence Report Reveals

Russia's Naval Comnander-in-Chief has been relieved of his duties after the Federation's fleet suffered a string of 'significant' losses in the Black Sea, according to an intelligence report.

Admiral Nikolay Anatoyevich Yevmenov, Commander in Chief of the Russian Federation Navy, was "highly likely" removed after the loss of the Sergey Kotov corvette on March 5, according the U.K. Ministry of Defence's latest intelligence report. the Kotov was the 9th major vessel to be destroyed by Urkaine strikes since Russia invaded Ukraine over two years ago.

British Intelligence reports that his replacement will be Northen Fleet Commander Admiral Aleksandr Alekseyevich Moiseyev, who previously held command of the black sea fleet from 2018 to 2019.

On the night of March 5, Ukrainian Magura V5 maritime drones operated by Ukrainian Special Forces bombarded the Kotov while on patrol near the Kerch Strait, according to RBC Ukraine. The Kotov was destroyed, and was the third vessel in Russia's Black Sea fleet to sink in the last five weeks.