The Russian Black Sea Fleet is effectively unable to use the repair base in occupied Crimea due to the risk of its ships being struck. Currently, Novorossiysk remains the main base capable of accommodating a significant number of Russian military vessels.
According to Ukrinform, Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, made this statement during a televised marathon.
According to him, the repair infrastructure in Crimea technically still exists, but the Russians cannot safely use it.
“The repair base in Crimea is like an empty auto repair shop—it’s there in name only, and even the staff go to work, but there’s one problem: the entrance is mined. No one wants to go into Crimea to repair anything there,” Pletenchuk noted.
He emphasized that experience has shown there are no safe places for Russian ships in occupied Crimea. According to him, repair issues also affect some other Russian Navy bases.
Pletenchuk separately assessed the capabilities of the ports of Ochamchira in occupied Abkhazia and Novorossiysk.
According to him, Ochamchira lacks sufficient capacity to accommodate large combat ships. This port is better suited for the needs of the FSB’s maritime security forces rather than for the full-scale basing of the Black Sea Fleet.
Novorossiysk, on the other hand, according to the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, has a fortified defensive perimeter, adequate water depths, and a sufficient number of berths to accommodate Russian ships.
Андрій Колісніченко