Admiral Alexander Moiseyev was officially introduced at a ceremony in Kronstadt. He was announced acting Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy. Whether he holds the position temporarily while candidates for the post are being considered, or whether Moiseyev is undergoing a so-called "probationary period," Russian media did not specify.
Moiseyev previously commanded the Northern Fleet and is a submariner. In 2011, he was awarded the title of "Hero of Russia" for successful missile launches from a strategic submarine.
Previously, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov was the Commander-in-Chief of the fleet. Russian media, citing sources in the government, wrote that he was completely dismissed. The 61-year-old Yevmenov had held the post since 2019.
The personnel reshuffle is apparently due to the huge losses of the occupiers' ships. The Black Sea Fleet, we will remind, has lost about 30% of ships and boats since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. British intelligence noted that for this reason, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu recently came to Sevastopol to personally inspect the fleet. At that time, Shoigu, it will be recalled, demanded to increase the "survivability" of ships.
"The Russian Navy has likely resorted to limiting its operations in the eastern Black Sea as its losses are mounting and threat perceptions are increasing. As Ukraine continues to look to strike from a distance, the Russian Defense Ministry has been forced to step up efforts to keep its fleet in the Black Sea," the British intelligence report said.
According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, after the loss of the patrol corvette Sergey Kotov on March 5, Russian warships stopped going on combat duty in the Black Sea.
