War in Ukraine - Selenskyj announces new strategy at sea
Ukraine will push back Russian influence in the western part of the Black Sea. The country will develop a new national sea strategy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in his daily video address. "We understand clearly that the war has changed the balance of forces in our Black Sea region, and the Russian fleet in this basin will never dominate again," Zelenskyy said optimistically. Ukraine will pursue its own national interests at sea and those of its partners, and protect transportation routes, he added.
Russia had already taken control of a large part of the Ukrainian fleet during the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Several ships went to Kiev shortly after the start of the large-scale Russian invasion in 2022, with the capture of the port city of Berdiansk in the southern Ukrainian region of Zaporizhzhia. The flagship of the Ukrainian Navy, the Hetman Sahaidachnyy, went down in Mykolayiv.
Despite the fact that the Ukrainian Navy currently does not have larger warships, Kiev has managed to drive the Russian Black Sea Fleet out of the western part of the Black Sea. This allowed at least partial revival of maritime trade through Odessa. The Ukrainian Navy is expected to be reinforced with deliveries from Western partners in the near future.
Besides strengthening its own naval power, Zelenskyy also promised further improvement of air defense. He referred to the acquisition of another Patriot unit from Germany and hinted at further reinforcements in the coming week.
Zelenskyy's video address (Ukr with engl. subtitles)
- Ukraine, in response to conflicts with Russia, will focus on limiting Russian influence in the western part of the Black Sea, as announced by President Volodymyr Selenskyy.
- The Ukrainian President mentioned that due to the changes in the balance of forces, the Russian fleet in the Black Sea will no longer have dominance, which is a significant development for Ukraine and its partners.
- With the withdrawal of the Russian Black Sea Fleet from the western part of the Black Sea, Kiev has experienced a partial revival of maritime trade through the crucial port city of Odessa.
- As Ukraine strengthens its naval power with deliveries from Western partners, President Selenskyy also emphasized the importance of improving air defense, with references to additional Patriot units and potential reinforcements.
