Russian Navy Blockades Ukraine’s Coast, Continues Missile Strikes

The Ukrainian Slovyansk, formerly the U.S. Coast Guard Island-class cutter Cushing, was reportedly destroyed on March 3. *WIKIPEDIA*

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Russian Black Sea Fleet has set up a naval blockade of Ukrainian ports along the Black Sea, a United Kingdom defense official said, and is continuing fire support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“The [U.K.] Ministry of Defence’s Defence Intelligence said Russian naval forces have established a distant blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, effectively isolating Ukraine from international maritime trade,” Air Vice-Marshal Mick Smeath, British defence attaché in Washington, said in a March 13 release.

While the Russian navy has taken a lesser role than its army counterparts in the invasion of Ukraine, it has taken part in offensive operations and amphibious warfare.

“Russian naval forces are also continuing to conduct missile strikes against targets throughout Ukraine,” Smeath said.

Some Russian navy warships are equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles.

Russian naval infantry — the equivalent of U.S. Marines — have landed ashore in Ukraine to participate in the campaign in southeastern Ukraine.

“Russia has already conducted one amphibious landing in the Sea of Azov and could look to conduct further such operations in the coming weeks,” Smeath said.

Ukraine’s main port on the Black Sea, Odesa, remains in Ukrainian hands.

Press reports have said that a Ukrainian patrol boat — the Slovyansk, formerly the U.S. Coast Guard Island-class cutter Cushing — was destroyed by a Russian aircraft on March 3.

A Russian patrol boat, the Vasily Bykov, reportedly was severely damaged and sunk on March 7 by rockets launched by a Ukrainian battery, according to press reports.

Some of the Russian ships in the region entered the Black Sea after a transit from Russia’s Baltic Sea and Northern Fleet. These included several amphibious warfare ships and missile-armed surface warships.