There are 20 Russian warships and submarines gathering in the Black Sea this morning (Thursday) according to the UK Ministry of Defence. The strategic update from the MOD says the vessels are in the operational zone.
Intended as a further approach to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, the manouvere may pose a serious threat, the MOD tweeted in an intelligence update. However, the Bosphorous Strait which connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, and, by extension via the Dardanelles, the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, remains closed to all non-Turkish warships.
This forms a serious block to any Russia desire to replace its lost cruiser Moskva. It sunk earlier this morning
The MOD tweeted: "Approximately 20 Russian Navy vessels are currently in the Black Sea operational zone, including submarines. The Bosporus Strait remains closed to all non-Turkish warships, rendering Russia unable to replace its lost cruiser Moskva in the Black Sea.
"Despite the embarrassing losses of the landing ship Saratov and cruiser Moskva, Russia’s Black Sea Fleet retains the ability to strike Ukrainian and coastal targets."
The intelligence update comes after Defence Secretary Ben Wallace claimed the Kremlin had sustained heavy losses since launching its invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
In a statement to the House of Commons, Mr Wallace said: “It is our assessment that approximately 15,000 Russian personnel have been killed during their offensive.
“Alongside the death toll are the equipment losses and in total a number of sources suggest that to date over 2,000 armoured vehicles have been destroyed or captured.
“This includes at least 530 tanks, 530 armoured personnel carriers and 560 infantry fighting vehicles.
“Russia has also lost over 60 helicopters and fighter jets.”
Mr Wallace added: “At the start of this conflict Russia had committed over 120 battalion tactical groups, approximately 65% of its entire ground combat strength.
“As of now we assess around over 25% of these have been rendered not combat effective.”
Mr Wallace also said the worse Russia behaves in its invasion of Ukraine, the more the West will help Ukrainians defend themselves.
He told Times Radio: “What we were always careful to do is make sure that we calibrated whatever weapons we sent in.
“It’s important to link Russian behaviour with the response.
“If they do horrendous things, they must recognise that there will be an increase in weapons to the Ukrainians to see them off.
“And so, you know, if Russia continues to bomb indiscriminately people from the air – look what it’s done in Mariupol, for example – destroyed the city, then of course the West will respond more to Ukrainian requests for self-defence, and sometimes that will include planes and tanks.”
Mr Wallace said Britain will not provide planes, but it would have supported Poland in sending MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.
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