Russia is forced to use its warships to distract Ukraine's air defense during mass missile attacks as the vessels are not very effective in launching the strikes themselves, Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, said on Oct. 17.
Russia has fired missiles against Ukraine from warships stationed in the Black and Azov seas. In recent weeks, Russia ramped up its attacks against port infrastructure and civilian vessels in southern Odesa Oblast, launching attacks from occupied Crimea.
Speaking on national television, Pletenchuk said that when Russia deploys several cruise missile carriers to the sea, it does not mean they will be used for an attack.
"Because of the low effectiveness of these weapons systems, (Russia) was forced, at the moment, to use them more to distract air defenses during mass missile attacks," he said.
According to the spokesperson, when one or two Russian submarines are at sea, they usually do not perform tasks related to missile launches but guard the base.
Ukraine has repeatedly struck Russia's vessels since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Around 30% of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is lost or disabled, according to the Ukrainian military.
Successful Ukrainian strikes on occupied Crimea forced Moscow to pull out much of its naval forces from the peninsula to the Russian city of Novorossiysk, which became a key port for the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
Martin Fornusek
