Sinking of the warship Moskva: Setback for Russia

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The recent sinking of the warship Moskva, the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, is a serious setback for Russia.

Key Points

• About the vessel: The vessel was the biggest Russian warship to be sunk in action since World War II. 
  • The Black Sea Fleet has a long history, and is considered to have been founded back in 1783. 
  • It comprises warships of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and the eastern Mediterranean, and is headquartered at Sevastopol, the major port on the Crimean peninsula.
• Figurative defeat: The loss of the warship is a huge symbolic defeat for Moscow as its troops regroup for a renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine after retreating from much of the north, including the capital, Kyiv. 
• Dent in Dominance: It is also a serious damage to its dominance in the Black Sea.
• It also puts a question mark on Russian plans for an offensive on the city of Odessa through amphibious means.

Significance of Black Sea to Russia

• The Black Sea is located between Europe and Asia. It is flanked by Turkey in the south, Crimea in the north, Georgia and Russia in the east and Romania and Bulgaria in the west.

Image Courtesy: britannica

• Not only is the Black Sea an entry point for Russia into the Mediterranean and a buffer between NATO and itself, it also serves as an economic gateway for the country to major markets in southern Europe, as reported by the Deccan Herald.
• Moscow sees the Black Sea as vital to its geo-economic strategy and it may be right to do so. It helps in supplying Russia’s oil and gas to the west.
• Russia depends on the Black Sea for both for military operations outside its immediate neighbourhood and for exports of Russia’s main commodity (hydrocarbons), reported The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
• Black Sea in the Ukraine war
  • Russia has been making efforts to gain complete control over the Black Sea since the Crimean crisis of 2014.
  • During the ongoing invasion, the domination of the Black Sea has been a major Russian objective, along with the land bridge to connect Russia and Crimea. 
  • As such, there have been intense efforts to capture Mariupol, the Sea of Azov port in the breakaway eastern Ukrainian oblast of Donetsk.
  • A domination of the Black Sea and Sea would give Russia a major advantage in the Crimea-Odessa-Mariupol region now that Sevastopol is already under its command.

What lies ahead ?

• This event will likely lead to Russia to review its maritime posture in the Black Sea.
• Defeat of Russia might affect India in broader aspects. 
  • Although India should continue to follow its policy of Non Alignment if it wishes to control the effects of the war crisis between Russia and Ukraine, which is engulfing almost the whole world.

Source: IE