Black Sea Fleet

Russian media reported Friday that the intelligence ship, Ivan Khurs, returned to Sevastopol undamaged.

An incident on a Crimean railway that possibly disrupted a weapons delivery could cause concern for the Kremlin, the U.K. said.

A top military intelligence official from Ukraine said most of Putin's warships in Crimea have been relocated.

The Moscow-backed Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said one surface drone was destroyed and "the second one exploded."

Russia's Black Sea flagship, the Moskva, sank in April 2022, and Russia's only aircraft carrier has been beset with problems.

Andriy Zagorodnyuk told Newsweek that leaving the strategic peninsula in Russian hands is "out of the question" for Kyiv.

The vessel Saratov was targeted a year ago in the port of the city of Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

The Russian military denied that it was planning to test its new Zircon hypersonic missiles during the navy drills.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov addressed reporters shortly after Russia said it downed a drone in Crimea.

Russia's prized Black Sea Fleet has sustained major losses since the Ukraine war began in February.

Russia's Black Sea Fleet has sustained major losses since the beginning of the war, including the sinking of its flagship Moskva.

A minesweeper was damaged during an attack on the Russian-occupied city of Sevastopol, home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet.

Ben Hodges said Russian troops are "exhausted" and facing more challenges than expected from a high-morale Ukrainian military.

The troops were sent to the Russian city of Novorossiysk, while redeployed aircraft were sent to Russian territory, according to a Ukrainian official.

The command of Russia's Black Sea Fleet "has almost certainly relocated its KILO-class submarines," the U.K. said.

The Russian fleet is "terrified to go anywhere near the Ukrainian coastline" and has been hiding behind Crimea, Ben Hodges said.

The strike on the naval headquarters in the occupied peninsula is the latest blow to Vladimir Putin's war efforts.

The Saki airfield in Crimea was hit with a series of blasts on August 9 that Russia's Defense Ministry attributed to detonated aviation ammunition.

The Russian state-owned news agency Ria Novosti reported the news of the new commander, citing unnamed sources in the Black Sea Fleet.

Yezhel signed off a treaty which authorities said "facilitated" Russia's annexation of Crimea, officials said.

"We have a permanent threat from the Russian Black Sea fleet," Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Volodymyr Havrylov said.

"Two ships with a total volley of up to 16 '3M-54 Kalibr' missiles are ready for use in the Black Sea," said a spokesman from Ukraine's Ministry of Defense.

The British Defense Ministry said that Russia's Navy can still strike Ukrainian targets despite the loss of the Moskva.

"This is a big blow to the [Russian] Black Sea fleet," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said on Thursday.

One expert said that the Kremlin would have real difficulty spinning the serious damage inflicted on a prestigious Russian warship to the people of Russia.

Despite allegations that the Moskva had likely sunk, Russian authorities claim the ship is still afloat and armed.

The Russian missile cruiser became famous at the beginning of the war in Ukraine for telling local troops on Snake Island to surrender, only to be told "go f*** yourself."

The Orsk had docked at the occupied port of Berdyansk, near Mariupol, on Monday.

U.S. air presence over the Black Sea angered Moscow.

Buyan-M-class missile corvette Vyshny Volochyok was officially made part of the Black Sea Fleet and is headed off for global military drills.