Russia Halts Naval Ship Repairs in Crimea Over Fear of Ukrainian Strikes

Russia has ceased repairing its naval vessels at facilities in Crimea, citing the risk of Ukrainian strikes, according to Ukrainian Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk, cited by Ukrainian media RBC on January 8.

“We have practically demonstrated that Russia can no longer use repair bases for its Black Sea Fleet. To repair a ship, it first has to be brought there, and right now, no one is willing to take that risk,” Pletenchuk stated.

The spokesperson referenced Ukraine’s successful strikes on Russian naval assets, including the destruction of the missile corvette Cyclone in Sevastopol Bay and two separate attacks on the submarine Rostov-on-Don. He also noted damage inflicted on the missile corvette Askold in Kerch.

“These examples make it clear to the Russians that using Crimea for ship repairs is fundamentally impossible,” Pletenchuk added.

Earlier, Ukraine’s Magura V5 maritime drone, equipped with R-73 missiles, destroyed two Russian Mi-8 helicopters and damaged a third near occupied Crimea on December 31, 2024.