Russia positions barges in Novorossiysk port to protect its fleet from attacks by Ukrainian surface drones - British intelligence

The russian occupiers have positioned four barges in the Novorossiysk seaport to strengthen the defence of their facilities after successful attacks by Ukraine on Sevastopol.

This is stated in the intelligence update of the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom, published on X (formerly Twitter).

“Recent imagery analysis has identified four barges positioned at the entrance to the Black Sea Fleet facility of Novorossiysk Sea Port. This is an effort to enhance the defences of the port against attacks from Ukrainian Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs),” the report said.

It is indicated that due to the increased risk of Ukrainian strikes in their traditional homeport of Sevastopol, Novorossiysk port now serves a crucial role in sheltering the most valuable assets of the Black Sea Fleet.

Intelligence noted that the former commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Viktor Sokolov, was replaced by russians after Ukraine's success in using surface drones against russian targets both at sea and in port.

The agency says that its successor, Vice Admiral Sergei Pinchuk, probably tried to increase the chances of survival of russian ships by taking additional preventive and defensive measures, including by narrowing the passage to port facilities.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on the night of March 24, the Defence Forces of Ukraine launched a missile attack on occupied Sevastopol.

As a result of the missile attack, large landing ships Yamal and Azov were hit. Later it became known that the intelligence ship Ivan Khurs was also hit by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.