Ukrainian Navy claims to have knocked out four Russian ships in one day this week. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian estimates, Russia has lost a good third of its Black Sea fleet.
The destruction of ships would also have the long-term effect of weakening Russia's overall strategy, as it would decimate the possibilities of large-scale attacks from the water. In order to minimize its losses on the water, Russia's navy is increasingly resorting to so-called Maskirovka techniques.