Baltic Fleet Deployments - Wk 32/2020

August 03

The Baltic Fleet kicked off its Ocean Shield 2020 naval exercise in the Baltic Region. Around 30 warships have left heir base in Kaliningrad under the escort of minesweepers. The first exercise involved the landing of a battalion sized group of Naval Infantry on the Khmelevka training area in Kaliningrad.
More details regarding Ocean Shield 2020 will become available in our after action report.

Over 400 military personnel have started the course of becoming anti-aircraft gunners. the month long course is held at Kaliningrad and involved training in the use of Igla portable anti-aircraft missile systems (MANPADS) and the Tunguska anti-aircraft missile as well as several anti-aircraft cannons. The troops will be trained to engage low-flying attack aircraft, attack helicopters and drones of a conventional enemy. [1]

Engineer units have defused several unexploded munitions at various locations in Kaliningrad. The munition was identified as one 152-mm artillery shell found on Letnyaya Street, a 120-mm artillery mine on Sovetsky Prospekt, a 100-mm artillery shell on Irtyshsky Lane, as well as a 20-mm artillery shell found in the village of Svetloye and a 180-mm artillery shell on the territory the village of Kos. following the defusing, the shells were brought to a unidentified military terrain for subsequent destruction. [1]

August 04

A battalion sized combined arms exercise took place at an unspecified location within the Kaliningrad Oblast. Motorized Rifle companies, together with armored, artillery and air-defense units, held tactical exercise which included the use of live fire. These exercise are designed to train the units up to company level, as well as facilitate the coordination between companies. It is reported that these exercises serve as preparation for a training exercise held at battalion level in the near future. [1]

Over 200 engineers, supported by 20 pieces of military equipment, trained in the recovery of damaged vehicles form the battlefield. The units used armpred recovery vehicles and heavy tractors to tow the vehicles away from the battlefield during realistic conditions. Smoke screens were used to protect the crews during the recoveries. In all, over 20 pieces of 'damaged' equipment were evacuated during this training exercise. [1]

August 05

A battalion sized unit equipped BM-21 Grad with multiple launch rocket systems was involved in a snap drill exercise at Kaliningrad. The unit was raised to full alert an direct to take up positions on a military training field. During the transit to their deployment area, the unit held a meeting engagement with a group of hostile group of reconnaissance and sabotage forces.

Following this attack, the artillery unit took up its positions and were instructed to engage enemy positions with their BM-21 Grad systems. The outcome of this exercise was not reported. In all, around 400 military personnel and 50 pieces of military equipment were involved in the exercise.

Nuclear, Biologic and Chemical (NBC) units in Kaliningrad took part in a large decontamination exercise. The training scenario involved the decontamination of a TOR-M2 air defense system which was struck by  enemy forces with chemical weapons. Over 100 military personnel and over 30 pieces of equipment, including TDA-3M, ARS-14KM and DKV vehicles, were used during this exercise. [1]

August 06

Around 300 military personnel and over 100 pieces of military equipment were used in a river crossing exercise at Kaliningrad. A battalion sized unit found its marching route blocked by a group of saboteurs who had destroyed a bridge over a river. The saboteurs were also entrenched on the opposite bank and were able to fire upon the battalion. A motorized rifle platoon crossed the river in infantry fighting vehicles and boats in order to dislodge the saboteurs. Once the river bank was secured, a 200 meter long pontoon bridge was build in order to allow the battalion to continue its movement. [1] [2]

August 07

Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters of the Baltic Fleet Naval Aviation conducted air-support exercises in the Kaliningrad region. Around 10 helicopters trained in striking enemy positions and conduct reconnaissance. The strikes were done with rockets and P-50T bombs. [1] [2]

August 08

A live firing exercise for a tank unit was held at the Kaliningrad oblast. Over 400 soldiers with 50 pieces of military equipment took part in this exercise during which tanks were firing on simulated enemy positions. The simulated targets were reported to be tanks, recoilless guns on vehicles, artillery pieces and anti-tank grenade launchers. the exercise was conducted both during the day and night. [1]

August 09

Around 100 soldiers from reconnaissance units conducted a parachute training during which they jumped out of Mi-8 helicopters from an altitude of 1.000 meters. Once the troops were on the ground, they were tasked with defending the drop zone as well as capturing enemy stronghold. [1]