Details surrounding this leadership change remain unclear, as the navy's press service has chosen not to comment on the matter. Nikolai Yevmenov, who has held the post since May 2019, faced sanctions from the US, EU, UK, and other countries following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Recent months have seen an increase in the Russian fleet's presence in the Black Sea and Crimea, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014. Ukraine has reported successful attacks on Russian warships using advanced drone boats armed with explosives, tipping the balance in naval warfare.
These remote-controlled boats, equipped with GPS and cameras, are difficult to detect and have proven effective against Russia's superior firepower.
The latest drone boat version is 18 feet long, weighs up to 1,000 kilograms, boasts an 800-kilometer range, and has a battery life of 60 hours, according to Ukrainian authorities. Additionally, Ukraine has utilized cruise missiles from the UK and France, launched from Soviet-era warplanes, with a range of over 250 kilometers, to target Russian assets in Crimea.
As the situation unfolds, these developments mark a significant shift in naval dynamics in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
