**Sevastopol’s Striletska Bay: A Symbol of Russia’s Fading Naval Presence in Crimea**
Striletska Bay, a crucial base for Russian warships in occupied Sevastopol, Crimea, is now largely empty and used primarily for maintenance work and rare anti-sabotage defense drills. This significant change was reported by the Atesh partisan group on July 8.
According to the group, Russia has pulled most of its major vessels from the area, leaving behind only a few remaining combat units that are periodically rotated and redeployed to avoid detection by Ukrainian reconnaissance. “The degradation of the occupation fleet in Sevastopol is becoming increasingly obvious,” Atesh said.
Striletska Bay was once home to a large number of combat vessels, but now it’s mostly idle. The remaining ships are being tracked and shared with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which have been targeting Russian naval assets with precision strikes using drones, missiles, and long-range drones. Ukraine has destroyed several Russian vessels in recent attacks.
**The Impact of Ukrainian Attacks on Russia’s Naval Presence**
Ukraine’s relentless drone attacks have forced Russia to reduce its naval presence in occupied Crimea. The shrinking Russian fleet is now mainly used for maintenance work and rare anti-sabotage drills, according to the Atesh partisan group.
“This (war) cannot continue; it must stop,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said, echoing the sentiment of many world leaders who are calling for an end to the conflict. In response, Europe is preparing to introduce tougher sanctions on Russia.
**Global Response and Support**
The international community continues to respond to Russia’s actions in Ukraine with increased support for Kyiv. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will enable Ukrainian banks to provide up to 900 million euros ($1.05 billion) in new loans by sharing credit risks. Additionally, the U.S. President Donald Trump told President Volodymyr Zelensky during a phone call that he was not responsible for the suspension of U.S. arms shipments to Ukraine.
**The Future of Striletska Bay and Russia’s Naval Presence**
As Ukrainian attacks continue to target Russian naval assets, it remains to be seen how long Russia can sustain its presence in occupied Crimea. The once-thriving Striletska Bay is now a symbol of Russia’s fading naval power in the region.
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