Russia annuls 54 ships and admits without wanting to have four submarines in the Black Sea

24/03/14

The flag of the Russian Navy has been flying since last Saturday on the Zaporizhzhia, a “Foxtrot” class Ukrainian diesel-electric submarine.

The Zaporizhzhia, commissioned in 1970, joined the Russian Black Sea fleet, bringing the Russian submarines deployed in the region to four. Half of the submarine's crew - explained by Ria Novosti (Russian news agency, ed) - decided to continue serving in the Russian Navy.

The submarine, en route at the bay of Yuzhnaya, was found in very poor condition and needed a complete overhaul.

A small detail emerges. According to the Russians in the Black Sea there would be three submarines, but official data have always spoken of only one boat, the Kilo class "Alrosa" (in the photo), entered service in the 1990. The Black Sea Fleet indeed does not receive new submarines from 23 years.

Almost certainly and considering the western ships present in the region, Moscow has deployed two "Akula" class attack submarines. increasing its naval presence in the Mediterranean after announcing 2012 in December, the creation of a permanent war fleet to protect its interests in the area.

Meanwhile, the naval ships of the Ukrainian navy are 54, including eight from the war, which have hoisted the Russian flag while the Ukrainian contingent present in Crimea and strong of 18 thousand men, is slowly starting to retreat. About two thousand men with their respective families have decided to leave the Republic of Crimea.

Those who are willing to continue their service in the Ukrainian military - they explained from Moscow - will be transferred to the border.

The new Russian fleet of the Mediterranean Sea 

Since 1 last May, all Russian warships in the Mediterranean have been grouped into a single operational task force. Before the annexation of Crimea, the Mediterranean war fleet was composed of eleven ships. The flagship of the Fleet is the missile cruiser 'Slava', the carrier-killer 'Moskva'. The battle group is formed by the 'Udaloy' class destroyer, the 'Admiral Panteleyev', and the missile destroyers 'Kashin-Mod', the 'Neustrashimy' and the 'Smetlivy'. The amphibious assault force is composed of the large 'Alligator' class landing ships, the 'Alexander Shabalin', the 'Novocherkassk', the 'Nikolai Filchenkov' and the 'Minsk'. The amphibious assault ship 'Ropucha', the 'Yamal', also joined from the Black Sea Fleet. Finally, the Russian Navy has added two corvettes, a command ship, several missile cruisers, minesweepers and the Zaporizhia submarine for a total of 54 boats, many of which are in poor condition.

Franco Iacch

(photo: MoD Fed in Russia)