Losses of the Russian Black Sea Fleet
From March 2022 through March 2026, the Ukrainian Navy has inflicted severe damage on Russia's Black Sea Fleet. A sustained campaign of attacks has resulted in the destruction or disabling of approximately fifty Russian vessels, including landing ships, submarines, and other naval craft. This chronology highlights the systematic and effective nature of Ukraine's maritime strategy against the invasion. Ukraine's use of innovative tactics, including naval drones and missiles, has challenged Russia's once-dominant position in the region.
- On March 25, 2022, the large landing ship Saratov was destroyed.
- The cruiser Moskva was sunk on April 13, 2022.
- May 7, 2022, saw the destruction of a Project 11770 Serna-class landing craft and two Raptor-class patrol boats near Snake Island.
- The tugboat Spasatel Vasily Bekh was eliminated on June 17, 2022.
- The frigate Admiral Makarov was damaged on October 29, 2022.
Attacks on Russian vessels continued in August 2023. On August 4, the landing ship Olenegorsky Gornyak was damaged near Novorossiysk. In a major strike on September 13, 2023, in Sevastopol, a submarine was hit and the large landing ship Minsk was destroyed. Further strikes in October 2023, on the 11th and 13th, damaged the patrol ship Pavel Derzhavin and a Project Buyan-M corvette. On November 4, 2023, the corvette Askold was damaged in Kerch, and on December 26, 2023, the large landing ship Novocherkassk was destroyed in Feodosia.
Continued Losses from 2024 to 2026
Losses for the Russian fleet mounted throughout 2024. On January 31, the missile corvette Ivanovets was sunk in Lake Donuzlav, followed by the destruction of the large landing ship Caesar Kunikov on February 14. The patrol ship Sergey Kotov was struck on March 5, 2024. A significant attack on March 24, 2024, in Crimea damaged the landing ships Yamal and Azov, along with the intelligence ship Ivan Khurs. The former Ukrainian vessel Konstantin Olshansky was hit on March 26, 2024. Subsequent strikes targeted the salvage ship Komuna on April 21, 2024, and destroyed the sea minesweeper Kovrovets and the missile ship Tsiklon on May 19, 2024. The ferry Conro Trader was sunk in the port of Kavkaz on August 22, 2024.
In 2025, attacks persisted. On April 1, landing craft BK-16 and a Raptor-class boat were struck. A shipborne radar station and a small missile ship of the Buyan-M project were hit on August 28, 2025. Later that year, on December 15, a Project 636 Varshavyanka-class submarine was struck in Novorossiysk, and on December 19, a drilling platform and the patrol ship Rasul Gamzatov were hit in the Caspian Sea.
Concluding this chronology, on March 2, 2026, the sea minesweeper Valentin Pikul was struck, and the ships Yeysk and Kasimov were damaged in Novorossiysk. In total, as of February 15, 2024, the number of confirmed destroyed Russian ships stood at 13, with many more damaged. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has acknowledged the ongoing complexity of the situation.
"This chronology demonstrates that the Ukrainian Naval Forces are capable of effectively countering aggression in the Black Sea, delivering significant blows to the Russian fleet." - Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The loss of a substantial portion of its fleet could have serious implications for Russia's military operations and its ability to control maritime routes. Given the protracted conflict, the actions of both sides will likely continue to impact regional security. President Zelenskyy's emphasis on the difficult situation underscores the potential for further challenges in ensuring maritime stability.