Militarization of the Black Sea

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Database of Russian Missile and UAV Attacks on Ukrainian Regions from the Occupied Crimea in January-December 2023

21 January 2024
Over the 12 months of 2023, the Russian Armed Forces used the occupied Crimea to strike at the regions of Ukraine, including with: 230 Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles – from ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet (no launches registered since September 25, 2023); at least 1250 Shahed-136/131 UAVs launches, not including those launched from the Russian regions; 62 Iskander ballistic missiles and 25 P-800 Oniks anti-ship missiles. The Monitoring Group of the BlackSeaNews and the Black Sea Institute for Strategic Studies Based on the results of our own monitoring presents the database Russian Missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Attacks on the Regions of Ukraine from the Occupied Crimea in January-December 2023.
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Database of Russian Missile and UAV Attacks on Ukrainian Regions from the Occupied Crimea in January-November 2023

26 December 2023
Over the 11 months of 2023, the Russian Armed Forces used the occupied Crimea to strike at the regions of Ukraine, including with: 230 Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles – from ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet (no launches registered since September 25, 2023); at least 750 Shahed-136/131 UAVs launches, not including those launched from the Russian regions; 62 Iskander ballistic missiles and 25 P-800 Oniks anti-ship missiles. The Monitoring Group of the BlackSeaNews and the Black Sea Institute for Strategic Studies Based on the results of our own monitoring presents the database Russian Missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Attacks on the Regions of Ukraine from the Occupied Crimea in January-November 2023.
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A database of attacks by Ukrainian drones and missiles on the territory of occupied Crimea and Russian ships in the Black Sea in January-October 2023

07 November 2023
From January to October 2023, i.e., over 304 days, the Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out at least 155 attacks on targets in Crimean peninsula and Russian Black Sea Fleet, averaging one every other day. Among those: in Sevastopol – at least 37 attacks, or 24%; on BSF ships at sea – at least 19 attacks, or 12%; in Yevpatoriya, Saksky, Chornomorsky and Rozdolnensky districts (Western Crimea) – at least 25 attacks, or 16%; in Dzhankoy region— at least 14 attacks, or 9%; in Feodosia region – at least 12 attacks, or 7.6%; on Kerch Bridge – at least 4 attacks.
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Deployment of Russian Warships in the Mediterranean as of November 1, 2023

04 November 2023
Just before the large-scale attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Russia had formed in the Mediterranean Sea an unprecedented grouping of warships from all four of its fleets. Specifically, in the first decade of February 2022, Russia's «Mediterranean squadron» included 29 ships and boats, specifically: 11 missile ships, 6 large amphibious assault ships (LST), a patrol corvette, 2 minesweepers, an anti-submarine warfare boat, 2 reconnaissance ships, 4 auxiliary supply vessels, and 2 tugs. In the late summer of 2022, Russia began a gradual withdrawal of its main warships from the region. As of October 15, 2023, the number of Russian Mediterranean grouping has decreased by 5 times — from 29 ships and boats in February 2023 to merely 6 in October 2023.Currently it includes: 2 missile corvettes, an anti-submarine warfare boat, a reconnaissance ship, a supply tanker, a floating shipyard, and not a single tug.
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The operations of the Ukrainian temporary maritime export corridor from the ports of Greater Odesa (the database as of 16/10/2023)

17 October 2023
The Monitoring Group of the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies, based on its own monitoring, publishes a database of vessels that arrived in and departed from the ports of Greater Odesa along the new Ukrainian temporary maritime export corridor, which began operating on 16 September 2023. As of 16 October 2023, the number of ships that arrived along this corridor in the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdenny to take on cargo is 31. Their total deadweight is 1.3 million tons. 17 vessels out of 31 have already left the ports with cargo and are on their way to or have already arrived in their ports of destination.
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Russia's use of the territory of occupied Crimea for aggression against Ukraine and creating a threat to the countries of the region in 2023

03 October 2023
The Monitoring Group of the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies and BlackSeaNews, based on the results of its own monitoring of Russian missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks on the regions of Ukraine from the territory of occupied Crimea in January-September 2023, publishes an analytical report and forecasts about further use by Russia of the occupied peninsula’s territory for aggression against Ukraine and creating a threat to the countries of the region in 2023. We hope that our experts’ opinions, conclusions, and forecasts will clearly demonstrate to politicians, diplomats, analysts, and journalists in countries supporting Ukraine's struggle against the Russian invasion that without the liberation of Crimea, it is impossible to talk about victory in this war.
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Database of Russian Missile and UAV Attacks on Ukrainian Regions from the Occupied Crimea in January-September 2023

01 October 2023
Over the first 9 months of 2023, the Russian Armed Forces used the occupied Crimea to strike at the regions of Ukraine, including with: 230 Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles – totaling 26 missiles monthly – from ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, whose main base is in the occupied Crimean Peninsula, 590 – 65 monthly —Shahed-136/131 UAVs, 40 Iskander ballistic missiles and 17 P-800 Oniks anti-ship missiles. The Monitoring Group of the BlackSeaNews and the Black Sea Institute for Strategic Studies Based on the results of our own monitoring presents the database Russian Missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Attacks on the Regions of Ukraine from the Occupied Crimea in January-September 2023.
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Anticipating the Next Black Sea Shipping Crisis​

19 July 2023
For centuries, Russia has sought to warp the Black Sea balance of power for its own gain. Since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, destabilizing allied Black Sea military and commercial operations while maintaining Russian commercial shipping became a natural priority.
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Foreign Merchant Ships Calling at Russian Ports Before Proceeding to the Ukrainian Ones

01 July 2023
Initially, a direct voyage from a Russian port to a Ukrainian one during the war struck us as a coincidence that, however, prompted us to start checking for similar voyages by other vessels. As a result, we've easily identified a fairly significant number of vessels that arrived at Ukrainian ports having previously called at the Russian ports. For security reasons, including counteracting possible sabotage, special decisions should be made to prevent maritime businesses from chartering vessels that operate to Russian ports for the transportation of goods to/from Ukrainian ports or simply ban such vessels from entering Ukrainian ports.
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Strategic Partners: Situation in the National Media of Ukraine (4)

21 June 2023
In the 2022 Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, Ukraine ranked 106th out of 180, losing 9 positions over the course of the year, but still remaining way ahead of Azerbaijan. The main reason for the drop in the ranking has certainly been Russia's full-scale military aggression, that has had a detrimental effect on all fields of life, including the information space.
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Ukraine's Strategic Partners: Situation in the National Media: Azerbaijan Compared to Ukraine (3)

05 June 2023
Before discussing the topic of the Ukraine’s image in the information space of the Republic of Azerbaijan, it is worth first to consider the general condition of the Azerbaijan’s mass media in comparison with that in Ukraine. This is particularly important in order to assess the radical changes that took place in both countries after the outbreak of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war.
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Database of Russian Missile and UAV Attacks on Ukrainian Regions from the Occupied Crimea in January-May 2023

31 May 2023
Based on the results of our own monitoring (see Table 1), the Monitoring Group of the Black Sea Institute for Strategic Studies and the BlackSeaNews editorial board presents the database Russian Missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Attacks on the Regions of Ukraine from the Occupied Crimea in January-May 2023. Over the first 5 months of 2023, the Russian Armed Forces used the occupied Crimea to strike at the regions of Ukraine, including with: 93 Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles – totaling 19 missiles monthly – from ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, whose main base is in the occupied Crimean Peninsula, 37 – 7 monthly —Shahed-136/131 UAVs, 21 Iskander ballistic missiles and 3 P-800 Oniks anti-ship missiles.
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Deployment of Russian Warships in the Mediterranean as of May 31, 2023

31 May 2023
Just before the large-scale attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Russia had formed in the Mediterranean Sea an unprecedented grouping of warships from all four of its fleets. Specifically, in the first decade of February 2022, Russia's «Mediterranean squadron» included 29 ships and boats, specifically: 11 missile ships, 6 large amphibious assault ships (LST), a patrol corvette, 2 minesweepers, an anti-submarine warfare boat, 2 reconnaissance ships, 4 auxiliary supply vessels, and 2 tugs. In the late summer of 2022, Russia began a gradual withdrawal of its main warships from the region. So, by May 2023, the number of missile ships in the Russian «Mediterranean squadron» had decreased to 3 — the smallest number since February 2022.
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The grain corridor in the Black Sea in April-May 2023: Russia’s ultimatum demanding the lifting of sanctions

31 May 2023
No ships arrived at Ukrainian ports through the grain corridor from 9 to 20 May 2023. There have been no interruptions for such a long time since the beginning of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. This happened soon after 13 April 2023, when Russia for the first time formally compiled a detailed list of demands for the lifting of sanctions in return for its further participation in the Grain Initiative. The demands were presented in the form of an ultimatum to the UN Secretariat, although the UN cannot resolve the issue of easing sanctions.
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Ukraine’s Strategic Partners: Azerbaijan in Ukraine’s Information Space (2)

06 May 2023
According to the position paper of the National Institute for Strategic Studies, “Strategic partnership is a type of interstate relations, built as a consistent system of interaction between states towards fulfilling common strategic tasks and pursuing common strategic interests and goals. Unlike alliance relations, strategic partnership does not involve a rigid system of political, economic, humanitarian, or security obligations.”