Militarization of the Black Sea
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The Changing Military Balance in the Black Sea: A Ukrainian Perspective
10 April 2026
For centuries, the Black Sea has been a strategic crossroads of global trade and power. Linking the Eurasian continent to the Mediterranean and beyond, it has served as a commercial artery and a geopolitical fault line. The presence of a strong Russian fleet will perpetually threaten shipping, ports, and infrastructure. It will always provide Moscow with a lever for the coercion of Ukraine and Europe.
Database of Ukrainian Attacks on Russian Ships in the Black and Azov Seas In March 2022-April 2026
08 April 2026
From February 2022 through April 2026, the Defense Forces of Ukraine carried out at least 62 successful attacks on Russian warships in the Black and Azov Seas, in ports and at sea, using missiles, small unmanned surface vessels, and UAVs.
Database of Russian Attacks on Black Sea Ports in January 2026
16 February 2026
In January 2026, Russian forces carried out no fewer than 22 attacks using missiles, UAVs, and USVs on the ports of Greater Odesa involved in the Ukrainian export corridor, Danube region ports, and Odesa Oblast. The strikes involved no less than: 5 Iskander BMs, 2 Kh-31P ARMs, 4 guided aerial bombs (GBU), and no fewer than 200 strike and decoy UAVs.
Database of Russian Attacks on Black Sea Ports Between January-December 2025
01 February 2026
Between January--December 2025, Russian military attacked the ports of Greater Odesa involved in the export corridor operation, Danube and Odesa Oblast 184 times, using no fewer than: 61 Iskander CM and BM, 5 Kh-59/Kh-69 ALCMs, 12 Kh-31P ARMs, 4 Kalibr SLCMs, 4 Oniks AShM, 2 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal ALBM, 38 GBUs, 5 USVs, 1600 strike and decoy UAVs.
Database of Russian Attacks on Black Sea Ports in January-November 2025
11 December 2025
Between January-November 2025, Russian military attacked the ports of Greater Odesa involved in the export corridor operation, Danube and Odesa Oblast 152 times, using no less than: 46 Iskander CM and BM; 5 Kh-59/Kh-69 ALCMs; 12 Kh-31P ARMs; 1 Kalibr SLCMs; 4 Oniks AShM; 3 GBUs; 5 USVs; 750 strike and decoy UAVs.
Database of Russian Attacks on Black Sea Ports in January-October 2025
03 November 2025
Between January-October 2025, Russian military attacked the ports of Greater Odesa involved in the export corridor operation, Danube and Odesa Oblast 123 times, using no less than: 35 missile attacks of various types; 87 attacks by strike and decoy UAVs of the Shahed-136/131, Geran/Gerbera and other types; 4 attacks by small USVs .
Database of Russian Attacks on Black Sea Ports in January-September 2025
30 October 2025
Between January-September 2025, Russian military attacked the ports of Greater Odesa involved in the export corridor operation, Danube and Odesa Oblast 107 times, using no less than: 40 Iskander CM and BM; 5 Kh-59/Kh-69 ALCMs; 11 Kh-31P ARMs; 1 Kalibr SLCMs; 4 Oniks AShs; 3 USVs; 750 strike and decoy UAVs.
Database of Russian Attacks on Black Sea Ports in January-August 2025
19 September 2025
Between January-August 2025 Russian military attacked the ports of Greater Odesa involved in the export corridor operation, ports of Danube River and Odesa Oblast 96 times, using no less than: 35 CM and BM Iskander missiles; 5 Kh-59/Kh-69 ALCMs; 11 Kh-31P ARMs; 1 Kalibr SLCMs; 4 Oniks AShM; 3 USVs; 650 strike and decoy UAVs.
Database of Russian Attacks on Black Sea Ports in January-July 2025
29 August 2025
In January-July 2025 Russian military attacked the ports of Greater Odesa involved in the export corridor operation, and Odesa Oblast 86 times, using no less than: 29 CM and BM Iskander missiles; 5 Kh-59/Kh-69 ALCMs; 11 Kh-31P ARMs; 1 Kalibr SLCMs; 4 Oniks AShM; 550 strike and decoy UAVs.
The New Realities of the War at Sea
25 August 2025
The Russian-Ukrainian war has fundamentally transformed naval combat operations. Ukrainian unmanned surface vessels (USVs) have been deployed extensively—first as kamikaze drones, then expanding to roles including reconnaissance, mine laying, and carrying remotely operated 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine guns, surface-to-air missiles, rocket projectiles, FPV drones, and combat lasers. Ukraine’s innovative approach allowed it to seize the maritime initiative as early as 2022, shifting the balance in its favor.
Advancements in Russian Naval Drones and Their Role in the Armed Forces
09 August 2025
After the success of Ukrainian maritime unmanned vehicles (in official Ukrainian terminology: MBUA — Maritime Uncrewed Vehicles) in the Black Sea — which drove the Russian fleet into the port of Novorossiysk and even forced some vessels to withdraw to the Caspian Sea — Russia has, quite naturally, initiated efforts to replicate Ukraine’s approach. Russian Federation is now vigorously integrating unmanned maritime assets into its naval forces.
Database of Russian Attacks on Black Sea Ports in January-June 2025
08 August 2025
In January-June 2025 Russian military attacked the ports of Greater Odesa involved in the export corridor operation, and Odesa Oblast 70 times, using no less than: 25 CM and BM Iskander missiles; 5 Kh-59/Kh-69 ASMs; 10 Kh-31P ARMs; 1 Kalibr SLCMs; 4 Onyx AShM; 450 strike and decoy UAVs.
How Ukraine Destroyed the Russian Black Sea Fleet Without Having One of Its Own
15 May 2025
The defeat of the "famous and heroic" Russian Black Sea Fleet (BSF) is not only a military-strategic, but also a geopolitical fact and a defining factor in the Ukraine-Russia war, one with regional and even global political significance that is reshaping the practice of naval warfare in modern conflicts. Our research has repeatedly documented the full history of sinkings and damages to Russian BSF ships and boats: 22 destroyed, excluding those irreparable, and 20 damaged, including irreparable ones.
Ukrainian Black Sea Corridor as Russia's Key Military Target. Part 5
21 January 2025
The incomparably more successful operation of the Ukrainian maritime corridor to the three ports of Greater Odesa – Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Pivdennyi – than that of the Black Sea Grain Initiative under the auspices of the UN, Turkey, and the Russian Federation pushes Russia to raise the question of resuming the terminated grain deal (with Russia's participation in cargo control) during any negotiations with Turkish officials. Notably, that position is echoed by the UN Secretariat officials.
Russia is developing a new strategy to increase security risks in the Black Sea in response to the defeat of the Black Sea Fleet. Part 4
17 January 2025
The situation in the Black Sea in the coming year will remain volatile with a tendency towards increased military risks. This will amplify the risks to the EU countries in the Black Sea – Romania and Bulgaria – as well as to Moldova and Turkey. Over the years of the Crimean Peninsula occupation, Russia has established a powerful land force there, including modern missile and aviation branches of its armed forces, with a developed logistics infrastructure for supplying troops, including through transport links with the Russian mainland – both via sea vessels and the so-called Crimean Bridge.