Ukrainian And Russian Navy Odds Were 1:12 A Year Ago, Now It Is 1:4

The area of the Black Sea that belongs to Ukraine and it’s necessary to regain more than 70 thousand km².

The commander of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Vice-Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa believes that Russia was forced to agree to the Black Sea "grain initiative" only because the Ukrainians were able to push enemy vessels off the coast. He said this in an interview with «Армія FM», published on February 23.

The admiral noted that at the beginning of a full-scale war, Ukraine did not have certain opportunities to resist the enemy at sea. Therefore, the Russians managed to come close to the Ukrainian coast, prepare for a full-scale amphibious landing and strike with Caliber cruise missiles, which still is happening from time to time.

“However, our reconnaissance and pointing systems were indicating surface targets and coastal artillery was stopping the enemy. The enemy forces and equipment odds were 1:12 in comparison with ours at the beginning of the large-scale aggression. Now we calculate our capabilities as 1:4,” Commander Neizhpapa said.

He noted that the Ukrainian army has acquired the fleet strike forces. The coastal missile forces were created during the full-scale war and are successfully operating. The military received the Neptune coastal missile systems, and the partners provided the Harpoon anti-ship missile systems. The Navy also improved the surface lighting system.

“So, thanks to the operations and strikes carried out, we stopped the enemy’s dominance in the northwestern part of the Black Sea,” the admiral said.

He also stressed that only because the Ukrainian military was able to push enemy ships 100-150 nautical miles from its coast, the enemy was forced to agree to actions along the “grain corridor” in the Black Sea. Of course, this became possible with the support of partners and the UN, according to his assessments.

According to the Commander of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, now 25,000 km² in the sea is a grey zone where Russian warships do not enter for fear of destruction.

“In the early days of the large-scale invasion, we saw them with the naked eye near Odesa. Now they no longer approach the shores we control. The general economic zone of Ukraine in the Black Sea, which needs to be liberated, is more than 70 thousand km², so there is still a lot of work to be done,” Oleksiy Neizhpapa said.