Russian Navy - News and Analysis

June 29 Around ten aircraft, identified as Su-30SM and Su-24 fighters, trained in air refueling in the Kaliningrad airspace. The aircraft were refueled by an Il-78 tanker and conducted the maneuver both individually and in pairs.  Russia only allows its 1st and 2nd class pilots to refuel in the air and only when they have over 400 hours of flight time. Pilots in training make the first eight to ten connections with instructors, followed by three to four approaches on their own. The altitude at which the refueling is done was between 2000 to 5000 meters. All aircraft conducted the maneuver at speeds of 500 to 600 km/h. [ 1 ] A second air exercise at Kaliningrad took place later during the day and centered on providing air support for ground forces. While this exercise also involved Su-30SM and Su-24 fighters, more aircraft were present with over 15 aircraft compared to the 10 involved in the aerial refueling exercise. This suggest that several pilots are not yet qualified...

June 22 More news became available regarding the sea trails of the Project 20835 frigate RFS Gremyashchiy. The vessel is currently docked at the Severnaya Verf at Saint Petersburg where an internal audit regarding her factory sea trails is being held. While in the shipyard, she will undergo a dock inspection as the plant’s specialists will audit the ship systems, perform tank cleaning and other work on the underwater hull, restore the insulation and paint coatings, and work out the crew’s comments. The audit will last until the end of July and the frigate is expected to start her final state trails in August. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] June 23 Type 636.6 Improved Kilo class submarine RFS Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky dived to a maximum depth of 190 meters in the Baltic Sea. The submarine performed this dive as part of a test during which her crew tested and monitored the various systems on board of the submarine. the crew also practiced several returns to the surface before continui...

Summary Week 25 saw a significant decrease in military activity in the Baltic Region. This was due in part to the end of the NATO exercise BALTOPS2020 which ended on June 16. Russian warships shadowing the NATO exercise were reported to be back in port by June 18. Russian media provided further information about the type of exercise the Baltic Fleet conducted in parallel with the NATO exercise. No specific information was provided about the composition of the naval task forces involved in each exercise but it became clear that the Baltic Fleet was more active then previously reported during week 24. It shows that the Russian armed forces still have tight control about the flow of information regarding their naval exercises and only communicate the information they feel like sharing. More details were available with regards to the naval aviation units of the Baltic Fleet. Su-27 aircraft were active at the beginning of the week in intercepting NATO aircraft operating in the Baltic R...

Summary During Week 24, Russia held several military exercise as a show of force in response to NATO units conducting their BALTOPS2020 military exercise. These Russian exercises show a clear pattern. They gradually increased in severity as the week progressed. First, the Baltic Fleet pulled back all ships that were on sea conducting state and factory trails by June 8. This is probably an attempt to prevent NATO forces from learning too much about the newest military warships that will soon join the Russian Navy. As for the military exercises themselves, the pattern we have witnessed shows that Russian forces went from defense to offensive as the week progressed. On June 8, Russian ground forces conducted air defense drills against a conventional airstrike. the next day, Russian warships at sea held their own air defense exercise by targeting targets dragged by Su-27 fighters. In this scenario, Russia expects first to be hit by a large airstrike on Kaliningrad, followed by an airst...

June 01 A new obstacle course  was created at the Pravdinsky training grounds in the Kaliningrad Region. The obstacle course is reported to be 425 meters in length and simulates wartime conditions such as smoke screens as well as the sound of shooting and explosions. The purpose is to train troops of the Baltic Fleet army corps on a psychological level and prepare them better for a war. Engineer units in Kaliningrad reportedly defused 24 unexploded munitions  which were left over from World War II. Eleven 76mm artillery rounds were discovered during construction work in the area of ​​the Talpaki village of the Guryevsky urban district of the Kaliningrad region. Another ten artillery shells  with calibers 85mm, 152mm and 200mm were also defused near the village of Naumovka. Two 82mm mortar rounds were defused near the A. Kosmodemyansky district inside the city of Kaliningrad and a third 82mm mortar rounds was discovered in the forest near the village ...