On a naval patrol in the Black Sea, Ukrainian sailors are prepared to respond to a range of Russian threats, from sea mines to Shahed drones.
The dangers are real, but the servicemen say they’re in a far stronger position than in the earlier days of the war.
The course of their patrol route proves it: their small boat is able to navigate a stretch of Black Sea waters that once would have been within range of Russian ships.
“Thanks to our coastal forces and missile systems like the Neptune, the [Ukrainian] Navy has managed to push back the Russian Black Sea Fleet,” one officer, Illya, told Current Time.
The Ukrainian military’s General Staff reports that Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has suffered significant losses, ceding coastal territory to Ukraine’s much smaller fleet.
The servicemen on patrol describe the tactics they use to hold that advantage as an asymmetrical campaign.
“We're not talking about a classic artillery duel with Black Sea Fleet ships -- that wouldn’t make sense,” Illya said. “They do have a powerful fleet, but the realities of the war are changing. Now we focus more on mobility, stealth, sabotage groups, small, maneuverable boats, and fast drones.”
Anti-drone weapons are also key, like a US-made M134 machine gun operated by a serviceman named Serhiy. The six-barrel gun fires 3,000 to 6,000 rounds per minute and has successfully brought down Shahed drones headed for the Ukrainian coast, Serhiy said.
Russia’s navy used its earlier access to the Ukrainian coast to plant sea mines intended to blockade Ukrainian ports. As the Ukrainian boat patrols a relatively safe strip of coastline, those mines still present a threat.
“Most of the time, we deal with Russian mines that were improperly installed,” Illya said. “They break loose from their anchors and drift toward our shores. At the beginning of the war, they mined parts of the Black Sea where civilian shipping takes place. If a boat like this hits one, nothing would be left of it.”
According to Ukrainian sources, Russia’s diminished strength in the Black Sea was apparent during a massive naval training exercise, dubbed July Storm, which was held on July 23-27. Russia deployed warships in the Barents, Caspian, and Baltic seas, but its Black Sea Fleet remained moored in Novorossiysk, east of Crimea.
On board the patrol boat, sailors confirmed that the smaller fleet’s tactics have had outsized success.
“When [the Russians] saw that we could hit them with cruise missiles, they stopped trying to land troops or send ships close for reconnaissance. They realized we were ready to face off with them,” Illya said.
“We showed our teeth,” he added.
