Four separated fleets required far more destroyers

Russia's Black Sea, Baltic, Pacific, and northern naval forces each had to survive and operate on their own. Calling a force a squadron or flotilla did not remove its need for the capabilities of a functioning fleet. The proposed minimum was three or four destroyer divisions in each area, put at 24 to 32 ships per fleet. Financial limitations were real, and public subscriptions helped fund some vessels. Russia nevertheless possessed extensive natural resources and considerable wealth. Poor allocation and spending prevented those resources from supplying enough destroyers for the separate fleets.