Russia has abandoned naval ship repair in Crimea fearing Ukrainian strikes, Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said earlier this week.
Ukrainian attacks have forced Russia’s Black Sea fleet to pull warships from the Sevastopol naval base in Crimea to Novorossiysk, another port city in the Black Sea.
The attacks have been carried out using missiles and drone boats, sinking or damaging dozens of Russian warships, including a possible submarine.
“The main facilities for the Russians are still in Crimea. But we’ve demonstrated in practice that using repair bases for their Black Sea fleet is no longer possible,” Pletenchuk was quoted as saying at a telethon.
“To repair their ships, they first need to bring them there. And now, no one will be doing that.”
Lack of Suitable Alternative
According to Pletenchuk, Russia has a ship repairing facility in Novorossiysk, but it is not quite on the same level as that in Sevastopol.
There is also a shipyard 2,200 kilometers (1,367 miles) away in Zelenodolsk, Tatarstan. However, it can only repair small missile ships and is not cost-effective, the spokesperson added.
“These incidents make it clear to the Russians that using Crimea for repairs is simply no longer feasible,” he said.
