NewsRussian Navy chief dismissed amid heightened Ukrainian drone attacks

Russian Navy chief dismissed amid heightened Ukrainian drone attacks

Images source: © GETTY | Bloomberg

4:24 PM EDT, March 11, 2024

The St. Petersburg-based website Fontanka has reported that Moiseyev's appointment has already been communicated to the staff. Despite Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov still being listed as the Chief Commander on the Ministry of Defense’s website, it's clear from sources within the admiralty that he will not be returning to his post.

This change in leadership has also been covered by the pro-government newspaper "Izvestia." Furthermore, the former commander of the Black Sea Fleet, retired Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov, in a conversation with ura.ru, validated the reports about Yevmenov's departure. "Yes, this information is reliable. I am aware of this development. I expect it will be officially announced later," he remarked.

To date, the Ministry of Defense has not made any public announcements regarding the Navy's change in command.

Since taking command of the Russian Navy in May 2019, Admiral Yevmenov has witnessed significant challenges, particularly following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. The United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and other nations sanctioned Yevmenov.

The Ukrainian military has recently intensified its attacks on the Russian fleet, employing Magura V5 surface drones. These strikes have notably impacted the Russian forces, resulting in the loss of three ships of the Black Sea Fleet within just a few weeks.