Ukrainian Navy Captain: The Strike On Novorossiysk Can Be Compared To The Undermining Of The Crimean Bridge
- 26.11.2025, 23:44
A military expert revealed the consequences of the SBU's dereza attack.
On the night of Nov. 24-25, Ukrainian forces attacked Novorossiysk, hitting an oil terminal, air defense positions and a large Project 1171 landing ship. The strike hit a key Black Sea Fleet base and one of the main centers of Russia's oil exports.
The website Charter97.org asked the head of military programs of the Center for Globalistics "Strategy XXI", captain of the Ukrainian Navy Pavel Lakiychuk to comment on the information about the defeat of a Russian warship and other objects of the Russian occupants.
- To calculate who exactly was "shot" is not such a problem. To be honest, I didn't do it yesterday, but Russia doesn't have many large landing ships left. There are two projects - "crocodiles" and "coal carriers": 1171 и 775. Half of them have already been decommissioned by the Ukrainian defense forces in four years. Therefore, it is not difficult to determine the goal. It would be desirable to sink project 1171, but unfortunately, it was not him. Because the ships are dispersed not only in the waters of the port of Novorossiysk, but also at the main base of the Black Sea Fleet. Practically the main base after the withdrawal of the fleet forces from Sevastopol - after the strikes on their main facilities. Now they are concentrated in the Novorossiysk naval base - this is the territory of the Gelendzhik seaport on the eastern shore of the Tsemesskaya Bay, about five hundred meters from the Sheskharis terminal.
When last time they flew at Sheskharis, it was obvious: if the strikes continue systematically, the port will be hit as well. And a large landing ship is the biggest target, it has the greatest reflectivity and is the easiest to spot. They are not submarines.
Submarines, by the way, the Russians sink them when there is a threat of a missile-drone raid. Corvettes are also diligently hidden by the occupants. But I think that the AFU forces will get to them as well.
At the same time, we must understand that Novorossiysk can be compared to the Crimean bridge. These are two key areas where the Russians have the densest air defense system. They stole everything they could. That is why they are concentrating there.
And it is not surprising that in order to hit Sheskharis, the port, Tsemes Bay, it is necessary to destroy the launchers of long-range surface-to-air missile systems. The last strike on Novorossiysk - first on Abrau-Durso - destroyed the launchers of the S-400. Then came the strike on Sheskharis and the port. This time - the same thing. If you don't destroy the division, you can't hit the main target.
- What facilities of the oil terminal and port infrastructure were affected, and how much can this hit Russian oil exports by sea?
- The oil terminal suffered very significantly. The structure of the Russian "gray" tanker fleet looks like this: about 40-45% of supplies come from Baltic ports - Gulf of Finland, Ust-Luga, St. Petersburg ports.
About 40% more are Black Sea ports: Tuapse, Novorossiysk first of all, plus a little Temryuk.
The North and the Far East account for the remaining about 15%. But the difference between the Baltic and the Black Sea is that Novorossiysk and Russia's Black Sea ports are the only year-round ice-free ports. St. Petersburg and Ust-Luga in winter are ice-bound, with periodic freezing of the fairway. And Novorossiysk and Tuapse are guaranteed supplies.
That is why for Russia they play a key role in tanker transportation of oil, oil products and ammonia. This is a serious threat, a serious challenge to the Russian economy, which, for unknown reasons, the Ukrainian defense forces have not used systematically before.
- During the strike, elements of Russian air defense, including S-400 systems, were destroyed or damaged. Tell me, where can Russia hide the remnants of its Black Sea Fleet now - or are there simply no safe harbors left for it?
- The Russians' air defense units are replaceable: one was bombed, and in a week or two others will arrive. In western Crimea, the AFU regularly takes out their position areas - Tarkhankut, Eupatoria, Fiolent. This is the Russian Federation's first line of defense. Ukraine's defense forces hit them regularly, once a month, or even more often - to break the front line and open a window of opportunity for strikes on Crimea and the southern coast of the Caucasus.
Each time the destruction of these complexes gives Ukraine a few days - a week at most - until the Russians pull up new ones somewhere from the Far East or somewhere else.
The last strike on Novorossiysk, recently, on Sheskharis, destroyed the S-400 complex. The S-300 was put in its place. Indicative: Russia's air defense is running low. The Russians have not found a free S-400 anymore. Obviously, in a week this S-300 will also have to be "turned off" by the Ukrainian defense forces.