Russia Scrambling to 'Preserve' Black Sea Fleet Amid Significant Losses to Ukraine USVs: Intelligence Report

Days after firing Russia's Naval Commander in Chief, Vladimir Putin appears to be limiting his fleet's exposure to Ukrainian long range attacks after weeks of staggering losses in the Black Sea, according to an intelligence report.

On Sunday, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu visited the Black Sea Fleet (BSF) command post, according a U.K. Minister of Defence intelligence report. Shoigu was briefed on Ukrainian operations in the Black Sea and "discussed the performance of Russian naval assets in the region."

Shoigu also announced new measures to "mitigate" threats posed by Ukrainian uncrewed surface vehicles (USV), which have sunk multiple Russian vessels in recent weeks, including the Sergey Kotov corvette, which was sunk by maritime drones operated by Ukraine Special Forces on March 5, HNGN previously reported.

In response to this, the Russian Navy has likely "resorted to limiting it's operations," according to the intelligence report, adding that the Russian Ministry of Defense "has been prompted to increase it's efforts to preserve it's fleet in the Black Sea".

On March 10, the Commander in Chief of the Russian Federation Navy, Admiral Nikolay Anatolyevich Yemenov, was removed from his position folllowing the destruction of the Kotov vessel. The Kotov was the 9th major war vessel to be destroyed since Russia invaded Ukraine over two years ago.

Yemenov has been replaced by Admiral Alexander Moiseyev, according to the Moscow Times. Moiseyev last commanded Russia's Northen Fleet before the Navy's reschuffle.