Russian Black Sea Fleet loses 15% of combat strength in Ukraine

The Russian Black Sea Fleet has lost 15 per cent of its combat strength in the war against Ukraine.

At least 12 ships and boats of the Black Sea Fleet have been sunk or severely damaged since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is calculated to be a very significant loss for Russian sailors, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Russian news service Project.

In 1990, the Black Sea Fleet was huge - numbering 800 ships, of which 274 were combat ships. But then the fleet began to shrink drastically - the number of ships fell not only in the 1990s, but also after Russian President Vladimir Putin came to power - until 2014.

Until February 24, 2022, the fleet had 275 ships and vessels, of which only 58 were combat ships. Thus, there were five times fewer warships than in the Soviet period. The total number of ships has decreased by a factor of three. Together with patrol boats, the Fleet had 74 combat units until February 2022.

If to conclude all the public data on ship losses, it appears that the Black Sea Fleet lost at least 12 ships and boats during the war with Ukraine. This represents more than 15 per cent of its pre-war strength of 74 ships and boats.