ABSTRACT
This chapter explores Russia's maritime power in the Black Sea and claims that while this looks set to increase significantly in the future the ability to translate this into a corresponding increase in the ability to use the maritime domain is likely to be problematic. Russia has important historical, commercial and security interests in the Black Sea. The chapter examines how, in spite of some limited improvements in the qualitative elements of Russian maritime power, morale of service personnel will continue to be undermined by the failure to implement ambitious military transformation including social reforms. It argues that, while good relations with Turkey have created the possibility of a more benign maritime security environment in which Russia can use the maritime domain, poor relations with key actors such as the US and littoral states like Georgia and Romania highlight the limits of and constraints on Russian maritime power in the Black Sea.
