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Sevastopol Naval Base

Coordinates:44°36′28″N33°31′48″E/ 44.60778°N 33.53000°E/44.60778; 33.53000
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Sevastopol Naval Base
Севастопольская военно-морская база
Севастопольська військово-морська база
Sevastopol,Crimea
Map of theSevastopol Bay
Sevastopol Naval Base is located in Crimea
Sevastopol Naval Base
Sevastopol Naval Base
Coordinates44°36′28″N33°31′48″E/ 44.60778°N 33.53000°E/44.60778; 33.53000
TypeNaval base
Site information
OwnerDisputed:
OperatorBlack Sea Fleet
Controlled byRussia
ConditionOperational
Site history
Built1772–1783
Built byRussian Empire
In use1783–present
Garrison information
GarrisonBlack Sea Fleet
OccupantsRussian Navy

TheSevastopol Naval Base(Russian:Севастопольская военно-морская база;Ukrainian:Севастопольська військово-морська база) is an occupiednaval baselocated inSevastopol,in thedisputedCrimean Peninsula.The base is used by theRussian Navy,and it is the main base of theBlack Sea Fleet.Internationally it's recognised as Ukrainian land under Russian occupation.

Geography[edit]

The Sevastopol Naval Base is almost completely located within theadministrative territory of Sevastopol.It has several berths located in several bays of Sevastopol –Severnaya(Russian:Северная бухта;Ukrainian:Північна бухта),Yuzhnaya(Russian:Южная бухта;Ukrainian:Південна бухта),Karantinnaya(Russian:Карантинная бухта;Ukrainian:Карантинна бухта) and others.

History[edit]

Tsarist Russia[edit]

The port was renovated in 1772, while theRusso-Turkish Warwas still ongoing, and was finished in 1783, following theannexation of Crimea by the Russian Empire.On 13 May 1783, the first eleven ships of theImperial Russian Navyreached theSevastopol Bay.[1]

During theCrimean War(1853–1856), all large ships werescuttledin the entrance to the bay in 1854 to prevent the entry of enemy ships into the bay. The citydefended itself for 349 daysagainst the allied armies ofFrance,United Kingdom,Ottoman EmpireandPiedmont-Sardinia.Eventually, the Russians had to abandon Sevastopol on 9 September 1855.[1]

Soviet Russia[edit]

DuringWorld War I,theImperial German ArmyoccupiedSevastopol on 1 May 1918 despite the ongoing negotiations to reach theTreaty of Brest-Litovsk.After further negotiations, the most important ships of theBlack Sea FleetinTsemes Bayin front ofNovorossiyskwere sunk by their crews.[1]

During theCrimean campaign(1941–1942) ofWorld War II,the Black Sea Fleet of theSoviet Navywas able to fend off the first air attack by theNazi GermanLuftwaffe.However, after the citydefended itself for 250 days,Sevastopol fell to the Germans on 4 July 1942.[1]

Ukrainian control[edit]

After thedissolution of the Soviet Unionat the end of 1991, the former Soviet Navy came under jurisdiction ofUnited Armed Forces of the Commonwealth of Independent Statesand later regulated by the separate treaty between the Russian Federation (RF) and Ukraine.

After afailed attempt to annex Crimea in the 1990s,in 1997 the RF signed thePartition Treaty on the Status and Conditions of the Black Sea Fleetwith Ukraine which allowed the Russian-allocated ships to remain on Ukrainian territory until 2017 sharing the Sevastopol Bay along with ships ofUkrainian Navy.

The lease arrangements were altered by the2010 Kharkiv Pact,which tied a 30% reduction in the extortionate price ofnatural gascharged by Russia since 2009to the continued occupation of the naval base until 2042.[2]

From then on,Russiapaid an annual lease toUkrainefor the use of the baseuntil the annexation-eviction occurred in 2014.[3][4][2]

Russian control (2014-present)[edit]

Since theannexation of Crimea by the Russian Federationin 2014, the naval base is again under Russian control.[5]

Post-invasion of 2022[edit]

Main article:Crimea attacks (2022–present)

On 13 September 2023,Storm Shadowmissiles were used in a strike against theport of Sevastopol,[6]seriously damaging theKilo-classsubmarineRostov na Donuand seriously damaging (according to some sources, beyond repair[7]) theRopucha-classlanding shipMinsk.[8][9][10]

On 22 September 2023, at least three Storm Shadow missileshitBlack Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol, reportedly killing AdmiralViktor Nikolayevich Sokolov,commander of the Black Sea Fleet. Russia later released videos purporting to show him alive,[11]while Ukraine later said it was re-evaluating his claimed death.[12][13]

On 25 September 2023, Russian authorities have announced that they would demolish the existing headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet.[14]

Gallery[edit]

  • The first map of the Akhtiar (Sevastopol) Bay, created by navigator Ivan Baturin and his team, 1773.
    The first map of the Akhtiar (Sevastopol) Bay, created by navigator Ivan Baturin and his team, 1773.
  • The Russian Squadron on the Sebastopol Roads (1846), by Ivan Aivazovsky.
    The Russian Squadron on the Sebastopol Roads(1846), byIvan Aivazovsky.
  • Map of Sevastopol, 1904.
    Map of Sevastopol, 1904.
  • Color view of part of the port, 1905.
    Color view of part of the port, 1905.
  • Aerial view of the port, August 1918.
    Aerial view of the port, August 1918.
  • Russian ships in Sevastopol, 2005.
    Russian ships in Sevastopol, 2005.
  • Russian ships in Sevastopol, 2008.
    Russian ships in Sevastopol, 2008.
  • Russian ships in Sevastopol, 2015.
    Russian ships in Sevastopol, 2015.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcd"Flottenstützpunkt Sewastopol"(in German).Retrieved26 November2018.
  2. ^ab"Kyiv's gas strategy: closer cooperation with Gazprom or a genuine diversification".Centre for Eastern Studies.15 July 2013. Archived fromthe originalon 23 October 2013.
  3. ^"Ukraine stellt Hafen zur Verfügung, Moskau gibt Energierabatt"(in German).Retrieved26 November2018.
  4. ^"State Duma approves denunciation of Russian-Ukrainian agreements on Black Sea Fleet".TASS.31 March 2014.Retrieved26 November2018.
  5. ^Deutsche Presse-Agentur(19 March 2014)."Annexion: Russland sichert sich militärische Kontrolle über die Krim"(in German).Die Zeit.Retrieved26 November2018.
  6. ^"British cruise missiles were used in significant Ukrainian attack on Russian submarine".Sky News.Retrieved13 September2023.
  7. ^Oryx."Attack On Europe: Documenting Russian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine".Oryx.Retrieved13 September2023.
  8. ^"Two Russian Navy Black sea ships hit by missiles, one destroyed VIDEO".13 September 2023.
  9. ^"Ukraine launches missile attack on Crimea".BBC News.13 September 2023.Retrieved13 September2023.
  10. ^Edwards, Tim Lister,Josh Pennington,Olga Voitovych,Christian (13 September 2023)."Ukrainian missiles strike Russian warships in Crimean naval base".CNN.Retrieved13 September2023.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^Sebastian, Katharina Krebs,Anna Chernova,Clare (27 September 2023)."Russian admiral claimed to have been killed in Ukrainian attack appears in video interview".CNN.Retrieved27 October2023.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^"Ukraine live briefing: Russia releases more video of Black Sea Fleet commander".Washington Post.27 September 2023.Retrieved27 October2023.
  13. ^Dooley, Matthew (23 September 2023)."Putin's top Black Sea Admiral 'killed' as Ukraine launches multi-pronged attack".Express.co.uk.Retrieved27 October2023.
  14. ^Giles Gear; Dominic Nicholls."Ukraine: The Latest -Russia blows up own HQ".The Telegraph.Retrieved28 September2023.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toSoviet and Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol.
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