Russia uses submarines to patrol Black Sea after naval losses, military says.

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Russia started using submarines to patrol the Black Sea after a number of ships were attacked by Ukraine, Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces and the Navy, said on national television on June 10. Ukraine has repeatedly struck Russia's vessels since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Around 30% of Russia's Black Sea Fleet had been destroyed as of December 2023, according to the Ukrainian military.

"They (Russia) have already established practice where these submarines rotate in the morning. In the Azov-Black Sea region, they have four submarines, three of which are cruise missile carriers. Two submarines periodically go to sea," Pletenchuk said.

Russia is reportedly trying to organize naval exercises in the Azov Sea. To protect the ships from Ukrainian drone attacks, Russia is building barge-like structures, according to the spokesperson. There are currently three Russian landing ships and three Buyan-M project small missile ships in the Azov Sea, Pletenchuk said.

Ukrainian forces reportedly crippled the Rostov-on-Don, one of the Russian fleet's four missile-capable submarines, in occupied Sevastopol in September 2023. In one of the latest successful attacks, Ukrainian Magura V5 naval drones hit four Russian patrol boats of the KS-701 Tunets (Tuna) model in Crimea on May 30, Ukraine's military intelligence said. Two of them were reportedly destroyed, and two others damaged.

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