Black Sea Fleet The Black Sea Fleet ( ) is a large operational - strategic sub - unit of the Russia n ( and formerly Soviet ) Navy , operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century . Its ships are based in various harbors of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov , while its aviation and infrastructure is based in various locations in Crimea , Ukraine and Krasnodar Krai , Russia . It is considered to have been founded by Prince Potemkin on May 13 , 1783 , together with its principal base , the city of Sevastopol , Ukraine . The major shipyard is located in Mykolaiv ( today in Ukraine ) . Expanded to the south at the end of 18th century , Russia struggled for long time against its main rival in the region the Ottoman Empire , with the Ottoman Navy being its main opponent in the Black Sea . The Black Sea Fleet defeated the Turks in 1790 , fought the Ottomans during World War I , the Romanians during World War II , and Georgia during the 2008 South Ossetia war . The division of the fleet in 1997 became the basis of the Ukrainian Navy . History . The Black Sea Fleet is considered to have been founded by Prince Potemkin on May 13 , 1783 , together with its principal base , the city of Sevastopol . Formerly commanded by such legendary admirals as Dmitriy Senyavin and Pavel Nakhimov , it is a fleet of enormous historical and political importance for Russia . In 1790 , Russian naval forces under the command of Admiral Fyodor Ushakov defeated the Turkish fleet at the Battle of Kerch Strait . From 1841 onward , the fleet was confined to the Black Sea by the London Straits Convention . As a result of the Crimean War , one provision of the Treaty of Paris was that the Black Sea was to be a demilitarized zone like the Island of Åland in the Baltic Sea , although Russia subsequently renounced the treaty and reconstituted its naval strength and fortifications in the Black Sea . The crew of the battleship revolted in 1905 soon after the Navy ' s defeat in the Russo - Japanese War . Lenin wrote that the " Potemkin " uprising had had a huge importance in terms of being the first attempt at creating the nucleus of a revolutionary army . During World War I , there were a number of encounters between the Russian and Ottoman navies in the Black Sea . The Ottomans initially had the advantage due to their having under their command the German battleship , but after the two modern Russian dreadnought s and had been built in Mykolaiv , the Russians took command of the sea until the Russian government collapsed in November 1917 . German submarines of the Constantinople Flotilla and Turkish light forces would continue to raid and harass Russian shipping until the war ' s end . Soviet Navy . During the Russian Civil War , the vast majority of the Black Sea Fleet was scuttled by Bolsheviks in Novorossiysk , some were managed to be interned by the Central powers ( later passed to Ukraine ) or Western Allies ( later passed to the White movement , see Wrangel ' s fleet ) . In 1919 out of the remnants of the Russian Imperial Fleet was established the Red Fleet of Ukraine which existed few months before a major advance of the Armed Forces of South Russia which occupied all the South and East Ukraine . Most of the ships became part of the " Russian Squadron " of Wrangl ' s armed forces and after the evacuation sailed to Tunisia . Out of those ships , some were passed to the French Navy and some were salvaged . Upon the defeat of the Armed Forces of South Russia , the Ukrainian National Army and the Polish Armed Forces in Ukraine the Soviet government signed a military union with the Russian SFSR transferring all the command to the Commander - in - chief of Russia . Few ships that did stay in Black Sea were salvaged in the 1920s , while a large scale new construction programme began in the 1930s . Over 500 new ships were built during that period as well as massive expansion of coastal infrastructure took place . The Fleet was commanded by Vice Admiral F . S . Oktyabrskiy on the outbreak of war with Germany in June 1941 . The Fleet gave a credible account of itself as it fought alongside the Red Army during the Siege of Odessa and the Battle of Sevastopol . ( See Black Sea Campaigns ( 1941 – 44 ) for more details . ) In 1952 , Turkey decided to join NATO , placing the Bosporus Strait in the Western sphere of influence . Together with the advent of long - range nuclear weapons , this dramatically decreased the strategic value of any naval activity in the Black Sea . In the later post - war period , along with the Northern Fleet , the Black Sea Fleet provided ships for the 5th Operational Squadron ( ) in the Mediterranean , which confronted the United States Navy during the Arab - Israeli wars , notably during the Yom Kippur War in 1973 . In 1988 Coastal Troops and Naval Aviation units of the Black Sea Fleet included : After the fall of the Soviet Union . The military importance of the fleet has degraded since the collapse of the Soviet Union , due to significant funding cuts and , to a degree , the loss of its major missions . However , in the early 21st century , local conflicts in the Caucasus region ( particularly the 2008 South Ossetia war ) saw Moscow employ elements of the Black Sea Fleet off the coast of Georgia , and the development of oil transit in the region has strengthen Russia ' s support of the fleet . In 1992 , the major part of the personnel , armaments and coastal facilities of the Fleet fell under formal jurisdiction of the newly independent Ukraine as they were situated on Ukrainian territory . Later , the Ukrainian government ordered the establishment of its own Ukrainian Navy based on the Black Sea Fleet ; several ships and ground formations declared themselves Ukrainian . However , this immediately led to conflicts with the majority of officers who appeared to be loyal to Russia . Simultaneously , pro - Russian separatist groups became active in the local politics of Ukraine ' s Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Sevastopol municipality where the major naval bases were situated , and started coordinating their efforts with pro - Moscow seamen . Joint Fleet and its partition . To ease the tensions , the two governments signed an interim treaty , establishing a joint Russo - Ukrainian Black Sea Fleet under bilateral command ( and Soviet Navy flag ) until a full - scale partition agreement could be reached . Formally , the Fleet ' s Commander was to be appointed by a joint order of the two countries ' Presidents . However , Russia still dominated the Fleet unofficially , and a Russian admiral was appointed as Commander ; the majority of the fleet personnel adopted Russian citizenship . Minor tensions between the Fleet and the new Ukrainian Navy ( such as electricity cut - offs and sailors ' street - fighting ) continued . In 1997 , Russia and Ukraine signed the Partition Treaty , establishing two independent national fleets and dividing armaments and bases between them . Ukraine also agreed to lease major parts of its new bases to the Russian Black Sea Fleet until 2017 . However , the treaty appeared to be far from perfect : permanent tensions on the lease details ( including often reported issue of lighthouses ) control continued . The Fleet ' s main base is still situated in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol . The Yushchenko Ukrainian government declared that the lease will not be extended and that the fleet will have to leave Sevastopol by 2017 . However , in 2010 the Russian leasehold was renegotiated with an extension until 2042 and an option for an additional five years until 2047 ( see below ) . Georgia in the Fleet partition . The newly independent nation of Georgia , which also hosted several bases of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet when it was the Georgian SSR , also claimed a share of the Fleet , including 32 naval vessels formerly stationed at Georgia ' s Black Sea port of Poti . Not a CIS member at that time , Georgia was not , however , included in the initial negotiations in January 1992 . Additionally , some low - importance bases situated in the Russian - backed breakaway autonomy of Abkhazia soon escaped any Georgian control . In 1996 , Georgia resumed its demands , and the Russian refusal to allot Georgia a portion of the ex - Soviet navy became another bone of contention in the progressively deteriorating Georgian - Russian relations . This time , Ukraine endorsed Tbilisi ' s claims , turning over several patrol boats to the Georgian Navy and starting to train Georgian crews , but was unable to include in the final fleet deal a transfer of the formerly Poti - based vessels to Georgia . Later , the rest of the Georgian share was decided to be ceded to Russia in return for diminution of debt . Since the 2008 South Ossetia war the Russian Black Sea Fleet has not taken part in any joint naval exercises involving Georgian warships . However , such a statement has little meaning since the Georgian Navy has ceased to exist ( early 2009 it was merged with the Georgian coast guard ) . Russia is a member of the Black Sea Naval Co - operation Task Group usually referred to as BLACKSEAFOR . Combat operations . Russia mobilised part of the fleet during the 2008 Georgian conflict . Russian units operating off Georgia ' s separatist Abkhazia region resulted in a reported skirmish with the Georgian Navy unconfirmed by Georgia . As a result , Ukraine ' s President Viktor Yushchenko decreed that the Black Sea Fleet would henceforth need permission to cross the Ukrainian border to enter and leave to Sevastopol , to which a Russian admiral retorted that the President of the Russian Federation and not Ukraine commands the Black Sea Fleet . Yushchenko ' s decrees where without force and deployed units of the Russian Black Sea Fleet returned to their home moorings without incident . Black Sea Fleet and Ukraine . As a consequence of Ukraine ' s Yushchenko government announcing that the lease of Russian naval bases on the Crimea will not be extended beyond 2017 , the Russian Black Fleet initiated the expansion of its base in Novorossiysk . In July 2007 , the Navy Commander announced that the new base will be ready in 2012 . Under the 1997 bilateral treaty , Russia paid annually and the treaty provided for an extension by mutual agreement . Russian officials repeatedly said they would like to extend the lease . In June 2009 , the head of the Ukrainian Security Service said that after December 13 , 2009 , all officers from the Russian Federal Security Service ( FSB ) represented at the ( Russian ) Black Sea Fleet must leave Ukraine , from then the Security Service of Ukraine will ensure the security of the ( Russian ) Black Sea Fleet and Russian sailors on Ukrainian territory . According to the Russian Foreign Ministry the employees of the FSB , who are working at the Black Sea Fleet facilities , are staying on the Ukrainian territory " in line with bilateral agreements " . In October – November 2009 , the ( Russian ) Black Sea Fleet complained about inspection of ( non - boat ) transport vehicles owned by the fleet by the Sevastopol State Auto Inspectorate and Ukrainian security officers , calling them " disrespect for the status of the Russian military units and an unfriendly step aimed at worsening the Russian - Ukrainian relations " . On April 21 , 2010 , Ukrainian President Yanukovych and Russian President Medvedev reached an agreement whereby the Russian lease on naval facilities in Crimea would be extended beyond 2017 by 25 years with an additional 5 - year renewal option ( to 2042 – 47 ) in exchange for a multiyear discounted contract to provide Ukraine with Russian natural gas . This deal is controversial in Ukraine . Joint exercises of the Ukrainian Navy and the ( Russian ) Black Sea Fleet may be resumed after a seven - year interval in June 2010 . In 2010 , Russian military counterintelligence officers from the Russian Federal Security Service will return to the ( Russian ) Black Sea Fleet base . While a Yushchenko administration minister said that Russia cannot unilaterally replace its Black Sea Fleet ships without Ukraine ' s consent , the recent lease extension also revalidated the agreements of 1997 . Those agreements stipulate that the Russian Black Sea Fleet can maintain the same numbers and types of ships that it had based in Sevastopol as a result of the 1997 fleet division without approval by Ukraine . This stipulation permits Russia to increase the current size of the fleet which has fallen below those numbers . As a result of the stance of the Ukrainian authorities , it was reported on 20 May 2013 that Russia would be concentrating on its new base in Novorossiysk and putting Sevastopol on hold as it upgrades the Black Sea Fleet . The Project - 11356 frigate " Admiral Grigorovich " and the Project - 636 submarines ( Kilo class submarine ) " Novorossiysk " and " Rostov - na - Donu " are expected to join the Fleet in 2014 and new moorings are being made ready for them at the base . Additions of ships to the Fleet . Repeated and sometimes contradictory announcements have been made claiming that new ships will join the fleet . On December 3 , 2009 , First Vice Mayor of Sevastopol Vladimir Kazarin stated that Russia ' s Black Sea Fleet could lose its combat capability , given a small number of ships and the absence of new ones . Similar doubts had been stated by the Russian media . The Gazeta newspaper noted that by 2015 the majority of the warships would no longer be fit for duty . In April 2010 , Russian Navy sources said that up to four frigates and four diesel - electric submarines will be added to the Black Sea Fleet by 2015 . In June 2010 , Russian Navy Commander - in - Chief Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky announced that Russia was reviewing plans for the naval modernization of the Black sea fleet . The plans include 15 new warships and submarines by 2020 . These vessels will partially replace the reported decommissioning of " Kerch , " " Ochakov " ( reportedly decommissioned in 2011 ) , several large support ships , and a diesel - electric submarine . Russian Navy HQ sources have said that by 2020 six frigates of Project 22350 " Gorshkov " - class , six submarines of Project 677 Lada class , two large landing ships of Project 11711 " Ivan Gren " - class and four class - unspecified ships will be delivered . Due to the obsolescence of the Beriev Be - 12 by 2015 they will be replaced with Il - 38 s . Sukhoi Su - 24 M aircraft are planned be upgraded to Su - 24M2 at the same time . However , the November 2011 suspension of building of the second and third Lada - class boats throws this particular announcement into doubt . The Project 636 . 3 ( " Kilo " - class ) diesel - electric submarine " Novorossiysk " — the first of three such new submarines – laid down at Admiralty Wharves Shipyard , St . Petersburg , on August 20 , 2010 is destined to serve in the Black Sea Fleet . Navy sources also say that Project 11356 Grigorovich class frigate will be despatched to the Black Sea . " Admiral Grigorovich " , the lead ship of the class , was laid down on December 18 , 2010 and is expected to be in service 34 months from that date ( Oct 2013 ) . Three ships of this class are to be in service in the Black Sea Fleet before 2015 . Incidents with Ukraine . The Russian Black Sea Fleet ' s use of leased facilities in Sevastopol and the Crimea has been controversial . A number of incidents have taken place : List of Black Sea Fleet ships . Black Sea Naval Infantry and Coastal Defense Force . 11th Independent Coastal Missile - Artillery Brigade < br > Anapa , Krasnodar region 3x K - 300P Bastion - P anti - ship missile system 810th Naval Infantry Brigade < br > 382nd Independent Naval Infantry Battalion