Russian Navy does not risk entering Black and Azov Seas due to Ukrainian strikes

The situation in the Black and Azov Seas remains stable. For several days now, no Russian surface ships have been observed in either sea, according to the spokesperson of the Ukrainian Naval Forces, Dmytro Pletenchuk.
He said that currently, all combat-ready units of the Russian fleet are based at the port of Novorossiysk.
Pletenchuk emphasized that the Russians mainly rely on submarines to maintain their presence at sea.
"One submarine goes out to sea, and then it is replaced by another. This allows them not only to demonstrate their presence but also to ensure the security of the base. Surface ships do not risk going out to sea," he said.
According to him, there are no inter-base movements of Russian ships at the moment. The last such movement occurred when they exited the Sea of Azov after it became evident that staying there was dangerous.
"Ukrainian Naval Forces once again confirmed that this area is under our fire control. They quickly returned to their base. A similar exit from Crimea occurred after several successful strikes," Pletenchuk added.
He also said that tracking the movements of submarines is quite challenging due to their short-term operations and maximum speed.
Earlier, spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk said that Russia is using submarines to enter the Black Sea to demonstrate its presence.
Pletenchuk also mentioned that Russian Black Sea Fleet submarines are primarily on standby in the eastern part of the Black Sea.
Russia struggled to repair its Black Sea Fleet ships that were damaged in Ukrainian strikes, Kyiv's navy claimed on Tuesday. This comes as Ukraine's military continued to attack Moscow's warships. Russia also repositioned two Karakurt-class corvettes, both armed with Kalibr cruise missiles, from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea to threaten Ukrainian forces. Pletenchuk claimed this type of missile no longer posed the same threat level as it did at the beginning of the war.
Both seas are connected by the 63-mile-long Volga-Don Canal, which Russia uses to move its warships between them. Russia's Caspian Flotilla has its role in the war as it is the only way for Moscow to reinforce its naval power in the Black Sea. Turkey closed its straits accessing the sea.
The Ukrainian Navy claimed in June that a third of Russia's Black Sea Fleet had been taken out of operation due to attacks. A month later, Ukraine's naval service said three Russian Kilo-class submarines, armed with Kalibr cruise missiles, were deployed simultaneously in the Azov-Black Sea region for the first time.