Russia's Black Sea Fleet is forced to relocate almost all of its combat-ready warships from occupied Crimea to other locations, and its main naval centre is becoming ineffective due to Kyiv's attacks.
This was stated by the Commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neyizhpapa, in an interview with Reuters.
According to him, the Ukrainian attacks have caused serious damage to the base in Sevastopol, which served as a logistics centre for the occupiers for repair, maintenance, training and ammunition storage.
Neyizhpapa added that Ukraine, which does not have large warships at its disposal, therefore used unmanned boats carrying explosives to hit Russian vessels, as well as fired at military targets with Storm Shadow and ATACM missiles.
"Almost all the main combat-capable ships have been withdrawn by the enemy from the main base of the Black Sea Fleet, and the ships are stored in Novorossiysk, and some of them are in the Sea of Azov," he said.
According to him, Russia's naval base in Novorossiysk on the eastern Black Sea coast lacks the large facilities of Crimea's Sevastopol, which served as a storage and loading site for cruise missiles used by its warships to launch air strikes against Ukraine.
Neyizhpapa said Ukraine had destroyed or damaged 27 warships, including five that he said were destroyed by sea mines planted by Ukrainian drones near Sevastopol Bay.
The naval commander also said that the Black Sea Fleet is now mainly used for logistical support, small-scale control of coastal areas and for calibre attacks on Ukraine.
Russian warships do not enter the northwestern part of the Black Sea, which covers almost 25,000 square kilometres.
The vice admiral stressed that the delivery of US F-16 fighter jets, which is expected in the near future, will be an impetus for depriving Russia of full control of the airspace over the Black Sea.
"F-16s with the appropriate weapons will be able to reject Russian military aircraft. The northwestern part of the Black Sea, including the corridor for civilian vessels, will be almost 100% protected," he said.
Neyizhpapa stressed that Ukraine would like to expand its shipping corridor, which currently includes shipping from only the three main ports of Odesa, to include the ports of Mykolayiv and Kherson, but Russia currently controls the Kinburn Spit that runs along this route.
He said civilian vessels are escorted by patrol boats in some areas to protect them from mines, and air defences provide cover for both ports and corridors.