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Russian Black Sea News

05 Mar 2024

Ukraine Says it Sunk a Russian Patrol Ship Near Crimea

(Photo: Ukraine Defense)

Ukrainian sea drones hit and sank a Russian Black Sea Fleet patrol ship off occupied Crimea in an overnight attack, the Ukrainian military said on Tuesday.Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency said a special unit called Group 13 had fired Magura V5 maritime drones at the Sergey Kotov near the Kerch Strait, which connects the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea.It said on the Telegram messaging app that the vessel had sustained damage to the stern, starboard and port sides, at an estimated cost of $65 million."Right now this ship is on the seabed as a result of fire damage by unmanned boats…

05 Mar 2024

Ukrainian Sea Drones Damage Russian Black Sea Fleet Patrol Ship Near Crimea

© Peter Cripps / Adobe Stock

Ukrainian sea drones damaged a Russian Black Sea Fleet patrol ship off occupied Crimea, Ukrainian military intelligence said on Tuesday.The intelligence agency said on Telegram messaging app that its special unit Group 13 attacked the Russian Black Sea Fleet patrol ship Sergey Kotov near the Kerch Strait."As a result of a strike by Magura V5 maritime drones, the Russian ship Project 22160 Sergey Kotov sustained damage to the stern, starboard and port sides," it said. The message added that the ship was worth about $65 million.Andriy Yermak…

14 Feb 2024

Video: Ukraine Says It Sunk a Russian Warship in the Black Sea

(Photo: Defense Ministry Ukraine)

Ukraine destroyed a Russian landing warship off the coast of occupied Crimea in an operation with naval drones that breached the vessel's port side on Wednesday and caused it to sink, Kyiv's military spy agency and armed forces said.There was no immediate comment from Russia, which said earlier that it had destroyed six drones in the Black Sea. The Kremlin declined to comment."The Ukrainian Armed Forces, together with the Defense Ministry's intelligence unit, destroyed the Tsezar Kunikov large landing ship.

30 Jan 2024

Chevron Reroutes Kazakh Oil to Asia Around Africa

Chevron is sending cargoes of Kazakhstan's CPC Blend oil to Asia around Africa's Cape of Good Hope rather than via the Red Sea to avoid the risk of attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, according to three industry sources and LSEG ship-tracking data.The Iranian-aligned Houthis have stepped up attacks on shipping despite U.S.-led air strikes on the group's positions in Yemen, leading more vessels to avoid using the Red Sea and the Suez Canal - the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia.CPC Blend crude is loaded at the Russian Black Sea terminal of Yuzhnaya Ozereevka, near Novorossisk.

05 Nov 2023

Ukraine Hits Russian Shipyard

© Peter Hermes Furian / Adobe Stock

Ukraine rained 15 cruise missiles on Russia's shipyard in the Crimean port city of Kerch on Saturday, damaging one ship, Russian defence ministry said, in an attack that could further undermine Moscow's striking capabilities.Thirteen of the missiles were destroyed in the air, while one hit a ship, the Russian defence ministry said in a typically laconic statement when reporting on Ukraine's strikes on Russian territory or infrastructure. It did not give the ship's name.Ukraine's top Air Force commander said the Russian Navy stationed there one of its most modern ships…

23 Aug 2023

Insurers Raise Premiums for Black Sea Tankers as Tensions Mount

© Gagarin / Adobe Stock

Insurance companies have notified charterers of ships operating in Russia's Black Sea ports of an increase in additional payments known as "war risk premiums", four traders said.A war risk premium was added to the common insurance costs for tankers last year after the start of Russia's military action in Ukraine, which Moscow calls a special military operation.Military actions in the Black Sea area of Russian and Ukrainian Black Sea ports have escalated since the grain export deal fell apart in mid-July.Most recently Russia reported several attacks at its Black Sea ports.

07 Aug 2023

Ukraine Hits Russian Tanker with Sea Drone near Crimea Bridge

A Ukrainian sea drone full of explosives struck a Russian fuel tanker near a bridge linking Russia to annexed Crimea, the second such attack in 24 hours, both sides said on Saturday.No one was hurt, but the Crimean Bridge and ferry transport were suspended for several hours, according to Russian-installed officials in Crimea, which Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014.A Ukrainian intelligence source told Reuters that the drone with 450 kg of explosives hit the SIG vessel as it transported fuel for the Russian military in Ukrainian territorial waters."The tanker was well loaded with fuel, so the 'fireworks' were seen from afar," the source said…

28 Mar 2023

In the Navy:The Role of Advanced Sea Mines in Future Conflicts

Sailors assigned to the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Annapolis (SSN 760) load a MK 67 submarine launched mobile mine (SLMM) onto Annapolis, May 4. Annapolis will be conducting maritime operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to maintain a safe and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Zachary Grooman).

When it comes to war, the old adage that the best defense is a good offense rings true. Nowhere is this more the case than naval warfare, where initiative can make the difference between victory and defeat. As an integral part of naval warfare, mine warfare – both mine countermeasures and mine laying, or “offensive” mine warfare - will continue to influence naval operations. Yet the latter of these sub disciplines - the “other” mine warfare, as Admiral James Winnefeld, Jr. calls it - has often been missing from mine warfare discussions.

10 Mar 2023

Report: Russia Exporting Diesel to Saudi Arabia via Ship-to-ship Loadings

Russia is ramping up its diesel supplies to Saudi Arabia using ship-to-ship (STS) loadings in addition to direct supplies, market sources said, and Refinitiv data showed.Exporters of Russian diesel are trying STS to save on new longer and therefore costly routes after a full EU embargo on Russian oil products was imposed on Feb. 5. They are switching Russian diesel exports to Africa and Asia instead of adjacent European countries.In February, Russia began direct diesel exports to Saudi Arabia, sending about 190,000 tonnes to the ports of Ras Tanura and Jeddah.STS loadings help to shorten the routes and could save time by going through the Suez Canal…

06 Jan 2023

Black Sea Shipping Rates Soar 20% as Reinsurers Cut Cover

Lifting cargo cranes, ships and grain dryer in Sea Port of Odessa, Black Sea, Ukraine. Copyright Oleksandra/AdobeStock

Costs for hiring ships to transport commodities from the Black Sea have risen by more than a fifth since the start of the year, reflecting higher war risk insurance rates, industry sources said.The Black Sea is crucial for the shipment of grain, oil and oil products. Its waters are shared by Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania and Turkey, as well as Russia and Ukraine. Since Jan. 1, when policies are renewed, reinsurers that provide financial protection for insurance companies have added exclusions for ships and planes for Belarus…

16 Nov 2022

Ukraine Shipping Hub Cheers as Kherson Win Foils Russian Black Sea Hopes

© haidamac / Adobe Stock

In Mykolaiv's blast-cratered district of Korabel, close to Ukraine's southern front, Pavel Salohub, a teacher of history and boxing, has not heard a single explosion in four days - the first such respite from war since Russia invaded.Friday's recapture of the city of Kherson has shunted the frontline dozens of kilometres to the east, and with it Russian artillery, spurring hopes that almost nine months of regular shelling and strikes are ending, the 28-year-old said."Emotionally everyone is happier, you can feel it. It's the first thing everyone talks about. It's really lifted morale.

02 Mar 2022

Two Oil Tankers Cancel Crude Oil Loadings at Russian Black Sea Port

Novorossiysk port- Credit: seregaphoto/AdobeStock

Two crude oil tankers due to load Russian Urals and Kazakh CPC blend this week have been cancelled as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.The Wonder Vega was due to load CPC Blend on March 7 and the Iberian Sea was due to load Urals but shipowners cancelled both vessels, the sources said.Vitol, which booked the vessels, has found a replacement, according to three sources.The cancellations were due to the proximity of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.Novorossiysk is a port in the Black Sea.

02 Mar 2022

Russian Oil Buyers Struggle to Charter Vessels

© Igor Groshev / Adobe Stock

Buyers of Russian oil have faced difficulties over payments and availability of vessels after imposition of Western sanctions against Moscow over Ukraine, traders said on Monday, while BP Plc has canceled fuel oil loadings from a Black Sea port.The West has introduced sweeping sanctions, including on the banking sector, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia calls its action a "special operation" to disarm Ukraine.The United States and its allies on Saturday moved to block certain Russian banks' access to the SWIFT international payment system that helps international trade flow smoothly.

25 Feb 2022

Insurance Costs of Shipping Through Black Sea on the Rise

Illustration: a ship in the Black Sea near Crimea ©Garnelis/AdobeStock

Insurers have raised the cost of providing cover for merchant ships through the Black Sea, adding to soaring rates to transport goods through the region for vessels still willing to sail after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.Ship owners pay annual war-risk insurance cover as well as an additional "breach" premium when entering high-risk areas. These separate premiums are calculated according to the value of the ship, or hull, for a seven-day period.Ship insurers have quoted the additional premium rate for seven days at anywhere between 1% to 2% and up to 5% of insurance costs…

14 Feb 2022

More than 30 Russian Ships Conduct Drills Near Crimea

© Andrii Salivon / Adobe Stock

More than 30 ships from the Russian Black Sea fleet have started training exercises near the Crimea peninsula as part of wider navy drills, RIA news agency reported on Saturday citing the fleet, as Western nations warned that a war in Ukraine could ignite at any moment.Russia's military moves are being closely scrutinized as its massing of troops near Ukraine and a volley of hawkish rhetoric have rattled the West and sparked concern it plans to invade Ukraine.

05 Mar 2020

Russia to Disinfect Ships from Iran, Italy and South Korea

© druid007 / Adobe Stock

Russia has ordered the mandatorydisinfection of ships arriving at the Black Sea ports of Novorossiisk and Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka from Iran, Italy and South Korea because of the coronavirus, a  document seen by Reuters showed.A branch of Rospotrebnadzor, Russia's consumer safety watchdog, has ordered port agents "to arrange the disinfectionof ships arriving from these countries before the border is opened" in the city of Novorossiisk, the document showed.Novorossiisk port is one of the biggest on the Black Sea.

26 Apr 2019

Equipment For Deepwater Berth Delivered at NUTEP

A cargo of handling equipment for NUTEP terminal in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk  was successfully delivered on board M/V Zhen Hua 19 to the Port of Novorossiysk.The equipment was supplied by Chinese producer ZPMC. The shipment include 3 STS cranes, 4 RTGs and 2 reachstackers. The terminal operator said the equipment is intended for the new deep-water Berth No. 38 built by NUTEP in 2019.The contracts for the supply of the three STS and four RTG were signed in June 2017; the reach stackers were ordered in January 2019. The overall contract value is USD 22.5 million under the DAT terms.The new STS with a track gage of 18 m, a cantilever span of 54 m and a lifting height above the berth of 40 m are the largest on the Russian Black sea coast…

21 Feb 2018

Port Spat Delays Russian Black Sea Product Exports

Shipments of oil products from a Russian Black Sea outlet have been disrupted since early February due to a row over the port's control, four industry sources told Reuters on Wednesday. Three sources said oil products shipments from the IPP terminal at the port of Novorossiisk have been delayed over a managerial conflict. The port did not reply to a written request for comment. According to the sources, between 1,000 and 2,500 rail cars with oil products are stuck near the port waiting to be loaded on to tankers. Trading sources also said that loading operations of two tankers - Andromeda, chartered by Litasco, and Trafigura's Atlantas II - have been cancelled. "Ships have been waiting in the harbour of Novorossiisk," a trader said.

29 Jun 2016

Russian Sub 'Stary Oskol' Enters Black Sea

Russia’s Stary Oskol submarine, the third boat in Project 636.3 series for the Black Sea Fleet, on a voyage to its permanent base has passed the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits, TASS quoted the Black Sea Fleet spokesman Vyacheslav Trukhachev as saying. Stary Oskol is the third submarine in the series of six submarines built for the Black Sea Fleet at the Admiralty Verfi Shipyards in St. Petersburg. The Russian Black Sea Fleet currently operates four Project 636.3 submarines. The fleet is to receive a total of six submarines of this project. Equipped with cruise missiles "Caliber-PL," the submarine made transition from the Northern Fleet to the Black Sea Fleet. The passage was watched over by a Turkish escort ship and patrol boat.

14 Dec 2015

Russians Force Turkish Ship to Change Course in Black Sea

A Russian Black Sea corvette and a coast guard boat have forced a commercial vessel under a Turkish flag to change course after it got in the way of a Crimean energy firm's boats towing oil rigs, the company said on Monday. The firm, Chernomorneftegaz, said the rigs were delivered into safety.   Reporting by Polina Devitt

15 Jul 2015

Russia Revives its Black Sea Submarine Fleet

Russia is making moves to revive and increase the size and scope of its Black Sea submarine fleet, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated. Project 636.3 Varshavyanka diesel-electric submarines that will sequentially join the Russian Black Sea Fleet will help revive full-fledged submarine forces in Novorossiysk already next year, Russia’s Navy Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Viktor Chirkov said. He stated during a meeting with the Main Naval Command in Saint Petersburg on Monday that he believes that the submarine fleet will be "revived" and ready for action by 2016. The Russian Black Sea Fleet will have a group of submarines possessing the long-range and autonomous cruising capacity, modern armament systems and effective radio-technical and navigational complexes.

24 Dec 2014

Pipeline Spills into Black Sea From Russian Source

A leak on a major Russian oil pipeline caused a spill in the Black Sea near the port of Tuapse on Wednesday where officials said stormy weather was hampering efforts to assess and respond to the mishap. "Some quantity of oil has spilled into the sea," Sergei Proskurin, first deputy captain of the port of Tuapse, told Reuters. He said the size of the spill was unclear and that emergencies services were working to deploy temporary floating barriers to contain the spill but were being delayed by the stormy conditions. Tuapse is a busy industrial and oil port but is located close to many Russian Black Sea resorts. It is just 118 km (73 miles) from the town of Sochi which hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics.

18 Dec 2014

EU Bans Crimea Investment, Targets Oil, Cruise Sectors

Measures take effect on Saturday; aim is to keep pressure on Russia over Ukraine. The European Union banned investment in Crimea on Thursday, halting European help for Russian Black Sea oil and gas exploration and outlawing European cruise ships from calling at Crimean ports. The new measures, which EU governments have signed off on and will take effect on Saturday, reinforce the EU's policy of not recognising Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region in March. EU leaders, who meet in Brussels later on Thursday, will pledge to keep up pressure on Russia over its role in Ukraine despite Russia's currency crisis and ailing economy, diplomats said.