By Kris Osborn, President, Warrior
The Russian Naval presence in the Black Sea off the coast of Crimea has been decimated and simply “prevented” from operating in the region, a Ukrainian tactical and strategic accomplishment which prevents Russian forces from launching missile strikes from sea or conducting any amphibious assaults.
In a background discussion with reporters, a Senior Pentagon official said the Russian Navy has been cleared out of or removed from waters near Crimea.
Many recall the Russian amphibious assault off the coast of Odessa in the early days of the Russia-Ukraine war, yet it seems quite significant that there has not been another attempted Russian amphibious attack since. Ukraine has destroyed roughly one-half of Russia’s Black Sea Naval warship force and as many as 15 vessels, according to an essay in an academic publication called “The Conversation.”
Given that Russia is of course known to operate a reasonably large fleet of armed warships and was at one point capable of an amphibious attack, it seems quite significant that Russia’s Black Sea naval force has, at very least, been reduced, damaged and potentially neutralized.
There are several variables which seem to have created this tactical reality, such as the firing of land-based anti-ship missiles at Russian ships in the Black Sea and the Ukrainian deployment of unmanned surface drones. Ukrainian drone boats have been operating in Black Sea waters off the coast of Crimea for quite some time, and they are the kinds of vital assets which could maneuver into targeting and surveillance positions without placing humans at risk. It would make sense if Ukraine used its drone boats for closer-in targeting, as it would enable ground commanders on the coast to precisely attack Russian warships with advanced guidance systems. This kind of forward autonomous targeting conducted by maneuvering drone boats at ranges less accessible to land sensors could be a key reason why Russian Naval platforms have been held at bay or simply “denied” access to ocean positions from which they could attack Ukrainian targets on land. The extent of the targeting achieved by Unmanned Surface Vessels depends upon the extent to which the USVs were networked to one another and to other multi-domain nodes such as land-based command and control, satellites, aerial drones and surveillance aircraft.
The destruction of Russian Naval assets in the Black Sea has protected Ukrainian forces and civilians in Odessa and along the entire coastline and functioned as a lesser-known yet crucial element of the war. Russia has simply not been able to conduct successful attacks from the ocean and has been fully prevented from launching amphibious attacks since the very first days of the war.
