Kathrine Frich
More than two years after a high-profile Ukrainian strike in occupied Crimea, heavy machinery has moved into central Sevastopol.
What was once a key symbol of Russian naval power on the peninsula is now being torn down.
Demolition under way
Russian-installed authorities in Sevastopol have started dismantling the former headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet, according to the partisan group Crimean Wind, which reported the development on February 25.
Bulldozers and construction equipment were seen on the city’s central hill, clearing what remains of the structure that previously housed the fleet’s main command centre.
The building had stood unusable since September 22, 2023, when it was struck during a Ukrainian operation known as “Crab Trap.”
Strike details
Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces said at the time that two Storm Shadow cruise missiles hit the headquarters while senior naval officers were meeting inside.
Kyrylo Budanov, then head of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, said the attack killed at least nine people and injured 16 others, including senior Russian generals.
Russia’s Defence Ministry confirmed only one serviceman had died but acknowledged the strike. The headquarters was subsequently abandoned amid severe structural damage and fire.
Strategic relocation
Constructed in 1958 on the site of a former palace dating back to 1900, the building had been modernised between 2014 and 2018 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea to improve communications and security systems.
Before the 2023 strike, it served as the central coordination hub for Russian naval operations in the Black Sea.
Since then, Russian command functions have reportedly been shifted to Novorossiysk or to reinforced underground facilities, as Moscow seeks to shield assets from further long-range Ukrainian attacks.
Separately, Ukraine’s General Staff said on February 21 that strike drones targeted two Soviet-era Be-12 amphibious anti-submarine aircraft at the Yevpatoriia Aviation Repair Plant in occupied Crimea.
Sources: Crimean Wind, United24media.
