It has been a year of setbacks for Moscow's Black Sea Fleet, which is now planning a fresh winter bombardment of Ukraine.

A majority of Russians still support Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, according to a poll from Russia. Some 76 per cent of respondents said they backed the invasion, while 21 per cent thought it was going poorly.

Growing numbers of ships are streaming toward Ukraine’s ports and heading out loaded with cargo despite the threat of attack and floating explosive mines.

Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has been forced back to base after “the storm of the century” hit southern Ukraine and occupied Crimea. No Russian ships are able to operate on the Black Sea and the Azov Sea because of the blizzards,