Russia has sacked its naval chief for repeatedly losing Black Sea warships to Ukrainian attacks, state media confirmed on March 19. The former commander of Russia’s Northern Fleet Alexander Moiseyev has been appointed acting commander-in-chief of the navy. Moiseyev replaces outgoing Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, who had been in post since May 2019, the RIA news agency reported. The Kremlin last week refused to comment on Moiseyev’s appointment, which marks the biggest shakeup in the military in months.Ukrainian forces claim to have destroyed more than two dozen Russian ships since the conflict began in February 2022. Moscow has been forced to move boats from its historic Sevastopol naval base in Crimea to the port of Novorossiysk, further east.Russia’s Black Sea woes come in stark contrast to its land offensive in east Ukraine, where its forces have advanced in recent months.