Ukraine separates amphibious assault from coastal raiding

Russian planning assumed a rapid collapse and did not assemble enough naval strength to suppress a defended coast. It never concentrated working surface ships from the Northern, Pacific, and Baltic fleets in the Black Sea, while naval infantry had received too little funding, equipment, and exercise time for the task. Once Ukraine survived the opening and fortified likely landing areas, assaulting an urbanized shoreline meant either costly house-to-house fighting or destructive bombardment. Ukrainian small-unit raids nevertheless show that amphibious activity has not disappeared. The distinction is between limited raiding and a sustained assault able to land, supply, and withdraw a large force, especially when fixed ports and unloading sites remain easy to target.