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​What russians Will Do with Their Corvettes with Kalibr Missiles?

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 Launch of the Kalibr cruise missile from Buyan-M small missile ships / Open source Illustrative photo
Launch of the Kalibr cruise missile from Buyan-M small missile ships / Open source Illustrative photo

How the story of the transfer of ships from Novorossiysk to the Sea of Azov can develop further

The spokesman of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Captain 3rd rank Dmytro Pletenchuk told on the air of the national telethon about some details of the escape of some ships of the russian Black Sea Fleet from Novorossiysk to the Sea of Azov. It took place on June 6. But russians called it "not an escape, but a training."

According to Pletenchuk, there are currently three large landing ships and three missile corvettes in the waters of the Sea of Azov. At the same time, the ships maneuver in the same areas where merchant ships are plying. In this way, russians are essentially hiding behind civilian shipping in case of a possible attack by the Defense Forces of Ukraine.

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What russians to Do with Their Corvettes with Kalibr Missiles?, Defense Express
Russian ships entering the Sea of Azov, June 6, 2024

In fact, they are simply keeping this grouping of three large landing ships and three missile corvettes in the waters of the Sea of Azov.

According to the Navy spokesman, russians decided to use the Crimean Bridge as well as its physical defense system to protect this grouping in a very specific way. For example such as a kind of barrier in case of an attack by Ukrainian naval drones.

It is worth noting that satellite images show that to protect their illegal construction, russian invaders have built berths for countersabotage boats, along with barges and containment boom.

This also turns the strategic picture for Ukraine. It was believed that the Crimean Bridge was the most ultimatum target in the war but now it turns out that it is something like a physical barrier in case of a possible attack on an equally ultimatum target. For instance, a grouping of russian Navy on three Kalibr carriers.

At the same time, we must understand that russian ships in the Sea of Azov will not be able to barrage continuously. They will have to dock at a new basing point. The autonomy of the Project 21631 Buyan-M missile corvettes is limited to 2,500 miles of range and a cruising time of 12 days. This indicator limits everything: the amount of fuel and provisions that can be taken on board, and even the accommodation conditions for the crew, which ranges from 39 to 56 people.

Therefore, russians will have to decide whether to return their ships to Novorossiysk or to take them to a new basing point in the Sea of Azov. If this second option is chosen, it could include not only russian ports of Azov and Taganrog, but also the temporarily occupied Berdiansk and Mariupol.

Earlier Defense Express reported about the historical significance of the UAV atack near Taganrog.

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