British Intelligence analyzes activity of Russian Black Sea Fleet after replacement of commander

The British Ministry of Defense reported this on X, citing intelligence data, according to Ukrinform.

“On 01 April 2024, a Grigorovich class guided missile frigate undertook weapons handling activity at the Black Sea Fleet (BSF) facility, Novorossiysk port. Modern Russian warships such as the Grigorovich class frigate have vertical launch systems for firing cruise missiles at sea and land targets. Such missiles have historically been reloaded in Sevastopol, Crimea. The BS has largely withdrawn its ships and submarines from Sevastopol further eastwards to Novorossiysk. Since the removal of the BSF commander in March 2024, the fleet has been the least active since the war began,” the ministry said.

The ministry also added that whilst the BS almost certainly remains alongside Novorossiysk as its best method of avoiding Ukrainian sea-borne attack, its maintenance, logistics and weapons-handling infrastructure at Novorossiysk has highly likely been improved to support the new basing arrangements indefinitely. 

As reported, the Russian authorities have changed the commander of the Black Sea Fleet for the second time since the beginning of the full-scale war with Ukraine, which has lost about a third of its combat power over the two years of hostilities.