Russia’s Black Sea Fleet Commander Sacked by Putin Over Warship's Sinking? Here's What We Know

Russia’s President Vlimir Putin has sacked Black Sea Fleet’s first deputy commander, Viktor Sokolov over sinking of warship Tsezar Kunikov off coast of 2014 annexed Crimea, pro-Kremlin channels are reporting.

commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet was fired after Ukrainian naval drones sunk landing ship for Russian naval forces in south of town of Yalta. Sokolov was appointed as Black Sea Fleet commander after barrage of drone attacks by Ukraine in Black Sea in mid 2022. He replaced his predecessor Igor Osipov.

Kyiv argues that attacks in annexed peninsula are aimed at safeguarding its own shipping maritime lanes, and deter Russian naval assaults after UN and Turkiye-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative was torpedoed and Moscow refused to guarantee safety of Ukrainian vessels in contentious waters. 

Russia warned that ships travelling to Ukraine's Black Sea ports will be seen as possibly carrying military cargo and ir flag states are parties to conflict.

Black Sea ‘unsafe for navigation’

In a statement posted on Telegram hours after grain deal could not be revived, Russian Defense Ministry declared areas of souastern and northwestern parts of Black Sea’s international waters as “unsafe for navigation.” Russian military considers all ships traversing via Black Sea as “ potential carriers of military cargoes.” Moscow’s forces launched preemptive strikes on ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk  to prevent grain len Ukrainian vessels from sailing in Black Sea where Sevastopol, major naval base of its Black Sea Fleet, is located.

As hostilities in Black Sea escalated during course of war, Moscow planned to relocate its Sevastopol base and redeployment of its Black Sea assets to safer ports of Novorossiysk and Feodosia, located eir side of Kerch Strait.

decision came as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelesnkyy announced that Russian fleet “is no longer able to operate in western part of Black Sea and is grually fleeing from Crimea. And this is a historic achievement.”

Ukrainian forces struck Russian military infrastructure on Sevastopil shipyard in September, last year. y launched drones at Russian Black Sea fleet Hequarters in September.

In footage released by Ukrainian military, Magura V5 sea drones were seen striking Russian war vessel causing powerful explosion and sinking ship with crew onboard. satellite images from last year show that warship sailed with its Black Sea Fleet from peninsula for Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.

This is yet anor major military loss for Russia’s Black Sea Fleet after sinking of flagship ‘Moskva’ in April last year. Russian guided missile cruiser was carrying a crew of 510 when it was attacked with two Neptune missiles by armed forces of Ukraine setting vessel ablaze, eventually sinking it in Black Sea, south of Odesa.

It was revealed that war vessel was hit using Ukrainian Neptune anti-ship missiles only as US intelligence played a role in making its location known to Ukrainian forces. United States later refused that it h any knowledge that forces of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were planning an attack on warship. White House officials claimed that Biden ministration h no prior knowledge about Ukraine’s intention but that maritime intelligent sharing was aimed at bolstering defences for Ukrainian Army in tase of an assault from Russian warship.

Moskva was largest warship to sink during a war since World War II and resulted in significant casualties.

Black Sea Fleet commander replaced by ‘unidentified’ chief?

Russian outlet, Ryber, confirmed that Sokolov was effectively removed as Black Sea Fleet commander and was replaced by an unidentified chief of staff. A pro-Kremlin military blogger Roman Saponkov, derided commander Sokolov for issuing orders to Russian Navy that undermined security of warship. He claimed on a Telegram channel that sinking of Tsezar Kunikov led to loss of 20% of Russian Black Sea Fleet.

Ukrainian military commenters labelled attack as Drones of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) operation. At of sinking, re were an estimated 87 crew members onboard. Russian Black Sea Fleet's website describes Tsezar Kunikov warship as Project 775 large landing ship, approximately 112.5 metres long, 15 metres wide donning a draft of 3.7 metres.

Russian warship deployed dely weapons such as 2x2 57-mm AK-725 artillery pieces, 4x8 launchers of man-portable air defence systems, and 2x30 122-mm A-215 Gr-M multiple rocket launchers. vessel could set up minefields and h various loing options—150 troops and 10 T-55 tanks with a crew of 40; 12 PT-76 amphibious swimming tanks with a crew of 36; a unit consisting of 3 T-55 tanks with a crew of 12, 3 120-mm mortars, 3 2G 27 combat vehicles, 4 ZIL-130 vehicles, 4 GAZ-66 vehicles and one GAZ-69 off-ro vehicle.

landing party of warship consisted of 147 troops. vessel could carry 650 tonnes of argo and could sail to a distance of approximately 4,700 miles.  It was named after Tsezar Lvovich Kunikov, a Soviet officer and commander of a landing unit, who died on February 14 1943.

Russia shot down six UA drones

Earlier yesterday, Russian Ministry of Defense said that its air defense systems shot down at least six drones in contentious Black Sea. pro-kremlin commenters reported seeing “something on fire” in sea in proximity to Alupka-Katsiveli. At least two military helicopters were spotted circling low over water. incident was first reported by Krymsky Veter outlet that said Russian landing ship was struck with a Ukrainian drone. Shortly, a Russian Ka-27 search and rescue helicopter was seen flying low in Foros, Crimea.

Tsezar Kunikov was docked in port city of Berdiansk during onslaught of Russia on Ukraine. It sustained damage when Ukrainian forces sank Saratov landing ship in March 2022.

Russia has significantly reduced its Naval presence in Black Sea following instating of 1936 Montreux Convention Regarding  Regime of Straits by Turkiye, that gives NATO member state total control over maritimes lanes in Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea. 

passages of vessels of war, aircraft carriers, and fighter jets are subject to restrictions which vary depending on wher se vessels belong to Black Sea littoral States or not. In March, 2022, Turkiye activate Montreux Convention to ban Russian war vessels from entering Black Sea through Bosporus and Dardanelles straits.