USNI News – The future of naval warfare is happening in the Black Sea.

Naval News – Ukraine’s uncrewed surface vessels are dominating naval combat in the Black Sea. Yet they have, until now, been particularly vulnerable to aircraft. So Russian defenses have emphasized using helicopters and fighter jets to stop them. Now a version armed with two repurposed air-air missiles could change the tide again.

Naval News – A mysterious maritime drone has been discovered in the Black Sea. The capsized vessel marries a U.S. built hull with a Soviet-era Russian warhead. At around 500 kg (1,100 lb), the warhead is more than twice the size of that on a Harpoon or Neptune missile.

BBC – Ukraine says it has hit two landing ships, a communications centre and other infrastructure used by Russia’s Black Sea fleet off annexed Crimea.

BMPD – It is reported that on March 8, 2024, during his visit to Turkey, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the RMK Marine shipyard in Tuzla (the southern outskirts of the Asian part of Istanbul), where he got acquainted with the construction of two Turkish-type corvettes Ada (MILGEM) for the Ukrainian Navy. 

(In Russian)

(Thanks to Alain)

BBC – Ukrainian sea drones have revolutionised naval warfare over the last few years, relentlessly hunting down Russian ships in the open sea and even at naval bases. Group-13, a secretive unit of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, was behind the Sergey Kotov attack last week, and the BBC has been given rare access to its operations.

Naval News – Ukraine’s maritime drones are shaping the war in the Black Sea. These robotic boats, termed USVs, have sunk an impressive number of Russian Navy ships. But their mere presence is having a greater, possibly more strategic, impact. Russia is having to shift its supply lines. And as the invasion of Ukrainian has shown, supply lines are key.

BBC – A Russian patrol ship has been sunk in the Black Sea after being attacked by sea drones, according to Ukrainian intelligence.

Wavell Room – Within one year, the Ukrainian Navy developed a small fleet of marine drones – the modern equivalent of ‘fire ships’ of the past – that has achieved an historical first: the defeat of a surface fleet by autonomous vessels.  This article examines how Ukraine’s ‘Navy of drones’ realised the improbable.

Naval News – This article analyzes Ukraine’s kamikaze attacks on the Russian corvette Ivanovets (January 31, 2024) and the Russian tank landing ship Caesar Kunikov (February 14, 2024) from the perspective of a naval operations planner and executor.

Forces.net – Professor Alessio Patalano believes the conflict will give the Royal Navy three key takeaways.

BBC – A big Russian amphibious ship, the Caesar Kunikov, has sunk off the coast of Russian-occupied Crimea, according to Ukraine’s armed forces.

BBC – Ukrainian forces say they have destroyed a Russian missile boat from the Black Sea Fleet in a special operation off Russian-occupied Crimea.

Naval News – Imagine a future where Ukrainian submersibles sink Russian warships far out in the Black Sea. Project FURY, which is preparing for the next Ukrainian government defense hackathon, is daring to do just that.

NATO – NATO’s lessons learned to date from the War in the Ukraine.

War Zone – Ukraine’s security service (SBU) claims it used a Sea Baby uncrewed surface vessel (USV) armed with rocket launchers for the first time to attack Russian ships near Sevastopol. The Ukrainian Pravda (UP) news outlet on Monday published a video provided by the SBU that it says shows the system’s first use. Still, the practicality of such a concept is questionable, with very limited use cases at best.

BBC – Russia’s Ministry of Defence said the large landing ship Novocherkassk was struck by Ukrainian aircraft carrying guided missiles.

War Zone – Ukrainian commandos who executed long-range amphibious raids on Crimea offer exclusive insights on those missions.

War Zone – Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate now says it sunk two ships docked at a port in western Crimea.

War Zone – The brand new heavily-armed Russian corvette Askold is confirmed to have been badly damaged in new imagery after a Ukrainian missile attack.

Defense News – Ukraine has shown surprising naval capability in the Black Sea, helping to protect its shores and shipping while keeping its predator’s fleet at bay. This achievement is remarkable because Ukraine is virtually bereft of warships. It has succeeded through the skillful use of emerging technologies, such as explosive-laden uncrewed surface vessels, and of older ones, such as land-based missiles and naval mines.

Naval News – Ukraine’s Magura V5 unmanned surface vessel which was used for kamikaze attacks against Russia during the ongoing war, was showcased at DSEI 2023 exhibition in London.

War Zone – Marichka is envisioned as being able to attack naval targets over great distance and even run clandestine resupply missions.

USNI News – Ukrainian forces attacked Sevastapol, Crimea, Friday, damaging the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

MarineLink – The crew of a Togo-flagged general cargo ship bound for one of Ukraine’s Danube river ports was evacuated early on Wednesday after an explosion on board near the Romanian port of Sulina.

(Thanks to Alain)