Russia replaces navy chief sunk by Ukraine’s Black Sea campaign

Russia has appointed Admiral Alexander Moiseyev as acting commander-in-chief of its navy after his predecessor was axed due to repeated hits on the Black Sea Fleet by Ukrainian attacks.

Moiseev, former commander of Russia’s Northern Fleet, was formally engaged in his new role at an official ceremony on Tuesday, according to the RIA Novosti news agency.

He replaces Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov. The 61-year-old had been in the post for nearly five years but was reportedly sacked after the losses of a string of warships.

The appointment of Moiseyev, also 61, marks the biggest shake-up in Russia’s military top brass since the sacking of aerospace force chief Sergey Surovikin last year.

Born in Kaliningrad, he graduated from a film college in the western Russian enclave, but made his career in the navy, serving on nuclear submarines for more than 29 years.

Embarrassment

Ukrainian forces claim to have destroyed more than two dozen Russian ships since the conflict began in February 2022, In the most recent attack, a military patrol boat was sunk earlier this month.

The losses have been an embarrassment for Moscow, which has been forced to move ships from the Black Sea Fleet’s historic naval base in occupied Crimea’s Sevastopol east to the port of Novorossiysk.

The maritime military woes come in stark contrast to Russia’s land offensive in east Ukraine, where its forces have advanced in recent months after over a year of deadlocked fighting.