Martin Harris (Photo: British Embassy Kyiv)

The events of 2023 in the Black Sea have been deemed a genuine victory for Ukraine, yielding significant geostrategic and economic effects, with the Ukrainian Armed Forces reportedly destroying nearly 20% of the Russian fleet during that period, as revealed by the British Ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Harris in an interview with European Pravda.

In December 2023, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, also stated that the Defense Forces successfully annihilated 20% of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

"This is a tremendous achievement. We believe that the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed nearly 20% of the Russian fleet. And you also pushed the Russian fleet 300 kilometers away from Sevastopol – to Novorossiysk," he said.

The diplomat highlighted that as a result of the actions of the Ukrainian military, the western Black Sea became open for Ukrainian exports. Harris specifically noted that the new corridor is operational, emphasizing that it is "not just a grain corridor, it's a corridor for all goods of the Ukrainian economy."

The ambassador drew attention to the economic impact, citing a 4.8% growth in Ukraine's economy in 2023 – well above the International Monetary Fund's forecast.

"This achievement by the Ukrainian Armed Forces had a geostrategic and economic effect. I think it was a very significant moment in 2023. What happened in the Black Sea is truly a victory for Ukraine," concluded the diplomat.

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