Full breakdown of the incredible underwater operation that exposed Russia’s last safe harbor

Ukraine has achieved a breakthrough at sea that fundamentally alters the security equation for the Russian Black Sea Fleet. By striking a high-value submarine inside a port long considered safe, Ukrainian forces demonstrated that even Russia’s deepest naval sanctuaries are no longer protected. This success underscores Ukraine’s growing ability to impose asymmetric costs on a conventionally superior opponent through innovation rather than mass. The operation signals that maritime dominance in the Black Sea is no longer defined by fleet size, but by adaptability and technological ingenuity. For Russia, the loss of sanctuary erodes deterrence and forces defensive overstretch across an entirely new domain. For Ukraine, it marks another step in steadily stripping Moscow of its remaining instruments of pressure at sea.

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