Russian Black Sea Fleet

The Russian Black Sea Fleet has been strategically important since the time of Imperial Russia. Founded in 1783, during the reign of Catherine II, the Great, it has been the main military tool used by Russia and the Soviet Union to exert its geopolitical presence in the Black Sea region and beyond, as it is connected to the Mediterranean Sea.

Although it had been reduced in size, since it had fallen in importance right after the Cold War, with the CIA-backed coup in Ukraine, in 2014, the Russian government saw right away the urgent need to quickly seize and secure Crimea and its naval base of Sevastopol to keep the strategic control of these waters. Thus, since then, what used to be a Russian flotilla in that region has been increased into a powerful fleet armed with hypersonic missiles. Aside from the Sevastopol port, the naval base of Novorossiysk is an important anchorage harbor for refit of this Russian Navy.

Black Sea Fleet Warships

Today, as of May 19, 2023, the backbone of the Russian Black Sea Fleet is composed of three large naval units: the 30th Surface Fleet Division, the 4th Independent Submarine Brigade, and the 197th Assault Ship Brigade, plus a small Coast Defense Ship Brigade. The surface fleet consists of 2 Krivak-class and 3 Admiral Grigorovich-class guided-missile frigates; and 5 Grisha-class, 5 Buyan-M-class, 2 Bora-class, 2 Tarantul-class, and 1 Steregushchy-class corvettes.

Meanwhile, the Independent Submarine Brigade is made up of 7 improved Kilo-class and 1 Lada-class submarines. Although they are diesel-powered submarines, they are extremely stealthy and they are fitted with hypersonic missiles, aside from conventional torpedoes. The Assault Ship Brigade is composed of 7 Ropucha-class landing ships.

Summary- Total numbers of warships

5 Frigates armed with cruise missiles and torpedoes.

15 Corvettes, about 7 of them fitted with hypersonic Kalibr missiles.

8 Diesel-powered attack submarines, all armed with hypersonic and supersonic cruise missiles, being characterized for their stealth technology.

Below, a cruise missile being launched from Admiral Essen (an Adm. Grigorovich-class frigate)

Below, Adm. Grigorovich frigate in the Mediterranean Sea