Putin axes head of Russia’s navy after string of humiliating Black Sea losses to Ukraine: reports

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ousted the country’s navy chief after a series of humiliating Ukrainian attacks decimated Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet, according to multiple reports.

Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, 61, Russia’s navy commander-in-chief since May 2019, has been replaced by Northern Fleet Cmdr. Alexander Moiseyev, reported several Russian outlets, including the St. Petersburg news service Fontanka and the pro-Putin Izvestia newspaper.

Moiseyev, 61 — who holds the country’s highest honorary title, “Hero of Russia” — was said to have been tapped as acting navy commander-in-chief and will soon be appointed on a permanent basis.

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The Russian navy’s rank-and-file have reportedly been notified of Moiseyev’s promotion, and Yevmenov is not expected to be returning to his office at the military arm’s headquarters, the Admiralty, in St. Petersburg, reported Fontanka.   

The Kremlin on Monday refused to comment on the alleged naval-brass shakeup, which is typically announced by presidential decree.

“There are decrees labeled secret, I cannot comment on them. There were no public decrees on this matter,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Yevmenov is still listed as the naval chief on the Russian Defense Ministry’s website.

Sources within Ukraine’s military intelligence service the HUR told the Kyiv Post that Yevmenov’s exit had been a long time in the making, coming on the heels of the destruction of an estimated one-third of the 80 warships that made up the Russian Black Sea Fleet since that start of the war.

Last week, the Russian missile patrol boat the Sergey Kotov was sunk by Ukrainian-made drones during an overnight attack.

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“The final straw was the destruction of the Sergey Kotov,” an HUR source told the publication when asked about the reasons for Yevemenov’s reported firing.

In the wake of the deadly attack, Russians warships allegedly stayed away the Black Sea for four days in a row.

In April 2022, the Russian Black Sea flagship missile cruiser Moskva was destroyed by Ukrainian anti-ship missiles, causing a major embarrassment to the Kremlin, too.

Last month, Ukrainian naval drones also pulverized the Russian supersonic missile-armed corvette Ivanovets.

Kyiv’s forces claim to have successfully attacked at least 26 Russian vessels over the past two years.

If Yevmenov’s ouster is confirmed, it would mark the most significant reshuffling in Russia’s military leadership since the firing of Air Force Chief Sergei Surovikin last year.