When at least 20% of Russian ships in the Black Sea were damaged or destroyed, two Russian media outlets announced the dismissal of the fleet’s commander-in-chief, which was not denied by the Kremlin.
After the destruction of a Russian ship by a Ukrainian naval drone Caesar Kunikov In mid-February off the coast of Crimea, rumors from Russian military bloggers reported the dismissal of Admiral Viktor Sokolov, commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Information which, so far, has not been confirmed. Ukraine falsely announced this summer that the precaution was necessary after a missile strike on the historic Russian naval headquarters in Sevastopol had killed it.
But ultimately, it was probably his superior, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, who would have suffered a naval setback off the coast of Ukraine. This Monday, March 11, two Russian media outlets announced the dismissal of Pasha Admiral Nikolai Avmenov of the entire military fleet. In a country where the press is so controlled, news is not a joke. “Admiral Nikolai Avmenov has been dismissed from his post and will be replaced by Admiral Alexander Moiseev”.announced the newspaper IzvestiaGenerally well informed on military matters and who discusses them “Coherent Sources”.
“He will not return to his office”
“The hero of Russia, Admiral Alexander Moiseev, has been appointed the acting commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy. It is expected that he will be able to get rid of the interim prefix in the near future»The St. Petersburg Daily said, FontankaWhich explains it “High Command Staff” already reported. “Admiral Nikolai Avmenov is still listed as Commander-in-Chief on the Ministry of Defense website, but the Admiralty has a clear opinion: he will not return to his office”says a newspaper based in the same city as the Russian naval headquarters.
The decision will hardly come as a surprise as it comes a week after the destruction of a particularly modern patrol boat. Sergey Kotov, again by Ukrainian naval drones off the coast of Crimea. Asked by Russian journalists about the fate of Admiral Avmenov, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not confirm the information.Izvestia And no FontankaBut, in particular, it was also not rejected. “There is a decree classified as secret. I cannot comment on them. There have been no public orders on this subject.This was limited to the response of this very close aide of Vladimir Putin who would be responsible for issuing a presidential decree to replace the main heads of the admiralty.
Also readBlack Sea: X-ray of Russian fleet harassed by Ukrainian drones and missiles
Le Figaro A recent survey estimated that 20% of Russian vessels in the Black Sea had been damaged or destroyed by the Ukrainians since the start of the war, a significant loss that also represented a third of the fleet’s tonnage deployed in the Pontic area – a statement from the Ukrainian military in early February, which Turns out to be true. If the destruction of the Russian flagship in the Black Sea, the cruiser Moscow, since April 2022, was the most symbolic naval victory for Kiev, it was the Russian amphibious fleet in particular that suffered the most, even though it plays a crucial logistical role in transporting military equipment to the Crimean peninsula and the rest of the occupied territories. Regions As of February 24, 2022, the most modern ships, carrying Kalibr missiles that participate in strikes across Ukrainian territory, have, however, been relatively spared.
Admiral Nikolai Avmenov, 61, has been Commander-in-Chief since May 3, 2019. Quite classically and to this day like Admiral Alexander Moiseev, he was previously the commander of the Northern Fleet, the most extensive and strategic of the four fleets. which makes up the Russian Navy. It is geographically divided between the Barents Sea – which provides access to the North Atlantic -, the Baltic Sea, the Pacific Ocean and the Black Sea. It is in Murmansk, just outside the Arctic Circle, that most Russian nuclear submarines are stationed.
aging fleet
Nikolai Avmenov himself was a career submariner, as was Alexander Moiseev who would replace him today. But it is his experience in the pontic space that can serve him today. Moiseev was appointed commander of the Black Sea Fleet in 2018, which is now strategic in the conflict. That year, in November, it was under his command that a Russian fleet fired on and then captured three Ukrainian naval vessels that attempted to cross the strait. A few months later, in 2019, he was promoted to head of the Northern Fleet, replacing Avmenov, who was appointed commander-in-chief.
In addition to the war in Ukraine, the Russian Navy is in a precarious situation. If it still ranks third in the world in tonnage behind the American US Navy and Chinese plans, it is still made up mostly of Soviet-era ships and Russian shipyards known for incredible construction delays. Despite some progress in the last five years, it is struggling to renew itself. Since 1991, only the submarine component, specifically intended to ensure nuclear deterrence, has been protected, which has been largely renewed. As for the rest, most of the 88 ships commissioned since 2000 are of low tonnage: the Russian high-seas surface fleet currently has only six modern frigates and still relies largely on older destroyers and cruisers designed or even built under the USSR.
Also readWith its new Belgorod submarine, Russia will be able to deploy Poseidon nuclear torpedoes
There have been other changes in Russian naval command, this time with no perceived connection to the war in Ukraine. Thus, in April 2023, Admiral Sergey Avakyants left the command of the Pacific Fleet – the second most important after the Northern Fleet -, replaced by Admiral Viktor Lina, who had been the head of the fleet until then. Baltic, the smallest of the four fleets
War in Ukraine
