MOSCOW, May 13 – RIA Novosti, Andrey Kots. Centuries-old traditions, tremendous experience, wide scope of responsibility – today is the 240th anniversary of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. This is the most belligerent formation in the Navy. About what tasks he currently performs – in the material of RIA Novosti.

On May 13, 1783, 11 pennants of the Azov Fleet entered the Akhtiar Bay on the southwestern coast of Crimea, where Sevastopol was later formed. This is how the Black Sea Fleet began.

The first state was approved in 1785: 12 warships, 20 frigates, five gulets, 24 transport ships and 13.5 thousand personnel. The Black Sea Naval Forces Command was established for administration in Kherson.

Türkiye has traditionally been the main enemy here. The fleet was actively used in all conflicts with the Ottoman Empire in the XVIII-XIX centuries. After the heroic first defense in 1854-1855, the glory of the city of Russian sailors settled in Sevastopol.

In the First World War, the Black Sea sailors controlled the entire water area, and also provided support to the Romanian and Caucasian fronts. They made trips to the Bosphorus and the shores of Asia Minor, conducted successful military operations.

Before the Great Patriotic War, the fleet included one battleship, five cruisers, three leaders, 14 destroyers, 47 submarines, 15 minesweepers, four battleboats, two guards, a minelayer, 34 torpedo boats and auxiliary ships. Plus 625 Air Force aircraft. The sailors played an important role in the defense of Odessa, Sevastopol, the Kerch-Feodosia landing operation, the defense of the Caucasus and the liberation of Novorossiysk.

In the postwar years, the Chernomorians ensured the existence of the pennant of the USSR Navy, participated in international missions and actively defended the interests of the country. After the dissolution of the Union, they faced financial difficulties and almost lost their Sevastopol base. Still, the ships managed to save.

The squadron contributed to the implementation of peace in Georgia and the counter-terrorism operation in Syria in 2008. Of course, sailors are also fighting in Ukraine.

The first attacks on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were carried out on the night of February 24, 2022. Frigates, small missile ships and diesel-electric submarines “Varshavyanka” struck airfields, headquarters, arsenals and places of concentration of manpower with “Caliber” in the critical infrastructure of the Ukrainian troops.

It is the pennants of the Black Sea Fleet, as well as long-range aviation, that have become very “long arm”, allowing you to destroy targets in Ukraine.

“Since the beginning of the special military operation, the fleet ships have carried out more than 180 Caliber attacks on critical targets of Ukrainian troops,” Krasnaya Zvezda said. Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Viktor Sokolov. “The main targets of the destruction were radar stations of air defense systems, missile and artillery weapons depots, oil depots, fuel depots, air bases, train stations.”

Coastal missile systems “Bastion” and “Bal” are also used. They are originally designed to destroy ships, but are also quite good at hitting ground targets.

In total, units of the coastal missile and artillery units hit 70 objects. Thanks to the activity of the Black Sea Fleet, Ukrainian ships were actually closed to ports.

It was not lost. For 15 months, the Black Sea has lost several pennants, including the flagship missile cruiser Moskva, the large landing craft Saratov, and several boats.

In February 2022, the soldiers landed on the unequipped beach near Berdyansk. The sailors of the 810th Separate Guards Brigade immediately went into battle and captured a large bridgehead, from which the liberation of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions began. Also, the paratroopers took part in the attack on Volnovakha, one of the first to enter Mariupol.

The sailors and officers of the 810th brigade, always ahead of the rest in the attack, competently conducted reconnaissance, acted tactically unexpectedly and boldly. They advanced where the other units had withdrawn. And around the clock snipers did not allow the Ukrainian militants to raise their heads.

The forces of the fleet are successful not only in attack, but also in defense. It is they who protect Crimea from water and air attacks.

“Together with the Aviation Forces, we have significantly increased the radar control zone of the airspace,” emphasizes the commander, “for timely notification of forces, we created a single information area, which includes, among other things, aircraft and helicopters of the naval aviation of the fleet, we strengthened the air defense of the bases.”

Underwater and surface unmanned aerial vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are constantly attacking. But the fleet has marine robotic systems.

This technique performs many tasks. And in the Black Sea Fleet there are enough of them today. That is why foreign analysts often call him “one of Russia’s most important trump cards.”