By The Smartencyclopedia Staff & Agencies

In a significant strategic shift, Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has been compelled to alter its approach after a Ukrainian naval drone successfully destroyed the missile-armed corvette Ivanovets near annexed Crimea earlier this month, according to Dmitry Pletenchuk, the spokesman for the Ukrainian navy.

Speaking on national television, Pletenchuk revealed that President Vladimir Putin’s prized fleet is now transitioning its focus from direct combat operations against Ukraine to prioritizing the protection and defense of its base points. The Black Sea Fleet is also emphasizing training its sailors and overseeing civilian shipping, a change in priorities noted as unusual for the fleet.

“The Russians spent several days thinking about and analyzing the incident with their missile boat Ivanovets. Even the training process was suspended, which is already a non-standard decision for the Black Sea Fleet,” said Pletenchuk.

The Ukrainian navy successfully sunk the Ivanovets on February 1, marking the 26th Russian ship struck by Ukrainian forces since the war began in February 2022. Ukraine released footage showcasing the intricacies of a nighttime operation, revealing a carefully laid “trap” for the Ivanovets.

Throughout the conflict, Ukraine has consistently targeted the Black Sea Fleet as part of its broader objective to reverse Putin’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, a critical logistics hub for Moscow’s forces in southern Ukraine. The flagship Moskva was attacked and sunk in April 2022, and in September 2023, a missile strike on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol reportedly resulted in casualties and the destruction of a Russian submarine.

According to Pletenchuk, Russia is now deploying its Black Sea Fleet vessels primarily for security reasons, transferring some to other ports, including Tuapse and Sochi. Satellite images from October showed a relocation of fleet assets from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk and Feodosia, reflecting Russia’s adaptive response to increased threats.

The Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI), a U.S. think tank, assessed on February 7 that the Black Sea Fleet’s posture has adapted throughout the conflict, emphasizing a conflict of attrition. The fleet’s missions have expanded to include more protection and detection tasks while maintaining an active defense posture at sea, as noted by the analysis.