Black Sea Fleet: Naval aviators hit hard - fleet commander dismissed

Now the smoke has cleared again and things can be seen a little more clearly. Until 14 August, according to Moscow, it was improper handling of ammunition that led to the massive explosions on 9 August at the Saki naval air base, located 40 kilometres north of Sevastopol, right next to Novofedorivka beach. Satellite photos are now available as comparative images that show the extent of the damage: at least 3 unprotected ammunition storage sites were hit and (or as a result of this) 8 fighter bombers were destroyed and more than 20 others were severely damaged.

Sukhoi Su-30SM Flanker Russia, Moscow.

A serious blow to the 43rd Assault Aviation Regiment of the Marines stationed there, which had been deployed both to protect Russian Navy operations and in the coastal bombardment of Ukraine's southern coast. This is the assessment of the London Ministry of Defence. However, this does not mean that it will be a long time before the jets can be restored to operational readiness, provided that the aircraft are intact and replaced quickly. Unlike ships, attack fighters are known to be built in series - especially at Mikoyan and Sukhoi in Moscow. And yet - "Forbes" estimates that a value equivalent to 300 million dollars has gone up in smoke at the Saki base. That would be between 40 and 50% of the Su-30SM (Flanker-C) fighters and Su-24MR (Fencer) swing-wing reconnaissance aircraft sighted there.

Was it carelessness or Ukrainian missiles?

Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer. Photo: German Navy

As of today, the latter must be accepted as reality - not officially, but confirmed by various sources - and probably also confirmed by Moscow's reaction. The loss is great, but the psychological damage is even greater - Crimea is no longer untouchable and Sevastopol, the harbour of the Russian Black Sea fleet, is on the plate! So why is the bridge at Kerch, Crimea's umbilical cord, still standing? But other authorities are probably also keeping their hands over it - for now!

Admirals come and go

Today's information from Moscow speaks volumes: on the 171st day of the war in Ukraine, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Igor Osipov, will be replaced by Vice Admiral Viktor Sokolov due to the successful Ukrainian attacks in Crimea. This is reported by the Washington think tank "Institute for the Study of War" (ISW), which adds that more than 40% of high-ranking Russian command officers have been replaced since 24 February.

However, this does not solve the many fundamental weaknesses of the Russian armed forces. Incidentally, Sokolov was Deputy Commander of the Northern Fleet for seven years before taking over as Commander of the N. G. Kuznetsov Naval War Academy in Saint Petersburg in January 2020. More about Vice-Admiral Viktor Nikolayevich Sokolov on Wikipedia