russia’s Black Sea Fleet’s (BSF) ability to use its Novorossiysk base to reload vessels with cruise missiles is likely to become a significant factor in the fleet’s operational effectiveness, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
Traditionally, BSF has reloaded cruise missiles at Sevastopol in Crimea. With that facility increasingly held at risk by Ukrainian long range strikes, russia will highly likely see Novorossiysk as the best alternative site.
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However, relocating and reloading the missiles would require new delivery, storage, handling and loading processes.
On 13 November 2023, the Ukrainian military claimed that russia has paused firing maritime cruise missiles because of ‘logistical problems’ at Novorossiysk.
russia will likely seek to expedite overcoming such issues in time for maritime cruise missiles to be included in any winter campaign of strikes against Ukraine.
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