(Dan Tri) – Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is posing an increasing threat to Ukrainian cities as Moscow conducts lightning strikes in winter.

Russian warships in the Black Sea (Photo: Reuters).

Natalia Humenyuk, head of the Joint Coordination Press Center of the Southern Defense Forces of Ukraine, said on December 28 that Russia has deployed three ships capable of launching long-range Kalibr cruise missiles, one of the weapons

Ms. Humenyuk said two submarines and the Admiral Makarov destroyer are the three ships deployed by Russia, capable of carrying 16 Kalibr missiles.

`This is a very strong signal showing the growing threat from missile attacks in this direction,` Ms. Humenyuk added.

According to Ukrainian officials, Kalibr missiles are `high-precision weapons` that are `regularly` used by the Russian military to attack high-priority targets.

`The enemy is escalating the situation in the Black Sea,` Ms. Humenyuk emphasized.

Ships capable of carrying Kalibr missiles from the Black Sea played a central role in Russia’s strategic offensive efforts throughout the war with Ukraine.

Russia is increasingly attacking Ukrainian cities and important infrastructure in an effort to force Kiev to retreat.

In the early morning of December 29, Russia launched one of the most intense air strikes on Ukraine since the beginning of the war, launching 158 missiles and drones at targets including infrastructure, facilities, and drones.

The Ukrainian Air Force announced that it had shot down 87 cruise missiles and 27 Russian drones.

Kiev said no Kalibr missiles were used in Russia’s latest airstrike, but cruise missile launches from the Black Sea are expected to take place in the coming weeks and months.

Black Sea location (Photo: US Department of Defense).

The Black Sea is a flashpoint in the war in Ukraine.

Open-source news site Oryx estimates that 13 Russian ships have been destroyed and 7 damaged since the conflict began in February 2022.

Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, former commander of the US military in Europe, said that Ukraine is trying to push Russia’s Black Sea Fleet out of Crimea.

`I think the efforts to push the Black Sea Fleet out of Crimea and out of the western Black Sea were the most successful part of (Ukraine’s) counteroffensive campaign,` General Hodges said, referring to Ukraine’s counteroffensive campaign.

Mr. Hodges called on Western countries to provide Ukraine with more accurate long-range weapons.

`If Ukraine has enough long-range precision strike weapons, every Russian ship, port facility, airport and logistics center in Crimea could be attacked, and Crimea, the decisive area of the conflict

`Ukraine demonstrated this effort with the attack on Sevastopol with just 3 Storm Shadows missiles, and now the attack on Feodosia. Imagine what they (Ukraine) could have achieved if they had