How Ukraine’s success at sea pushed Vladimir Putin towards a ceasefire

Russia lost up to 40pc of its navy vessels fighting in the Black Sea, while the rest fled the area as Kyiv appeared to perfect a new form of naval warfare

The 2022 sinking of the Moskva by Ukrainian forces was a major blow for Russia. Photo: Twitter/@Capt_Navy

Sam Kiley
©UK Independent

Ukraine is cagey about the size of its navy. Which isn’t surprising. In conventional terms it hasn’t really got one. But Kyiv rules the waves in the Black Sea with its near invisible fleet.

Three years after Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in which the bulk of Kyiv’s navy was sunk or scuppered, Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is cowed and hiding.