Baltic Fleet Deployments - Wk 42/2020

 October 12

Russia's Baltic Fleet responded against the creating of the United Kingdoms carrier task force by conducting anti-surface missile drills in the North Sea. Steregushchy class corvettes RFS Steregushchy and RFS Stoyky carried out simulated missile strikes against a simulated carrier task force from an unknown position in the North Sea. Both corvettes launched Uran anti-ship missiles during this drill. According to Russian sources, both corvettes succeeded in hitting their targets. Both ships also used electronic jamming during the missile strike.
Following the missile drill, both corvettes held additional drills such as joint navigation, ship-to-ship communication, damage control and defending against sabotage. [1]

October 13

Russian sources report that large scale tactical exercises have come to an end at the Kaliningrad Region. Over the summer period, the armed forces at Kaliningrad have been increasing their training and conducted several tactical exercises at the battalion level. Around 30 battalion-sized military exercises with the use of live ammunition reportedly took place during this period.

Currently, the armed forces are preparing their weapons and equipment for the upcoming winter period when new tactical exercises will take place. [2]

The minesweeper RFS Alexander Obukhov located a German sea mines at an unspecified location in the Gulf of Finland. The mine was located at a depth of 50 meters and part of a minefield dating from the second World War. One of the mines was detonated with the use of an unmanned underwater vehicle armed with a hollow charge to set of the sea mine. [4]

October 14

A reconnaissance unit, equipped with a single Orlan UAV, was tasked to locate a hostile sabotage and reconnaissance group as part of a training exercise. The unit was tasked to set up a command post and locate the group at an unspecified location in Eastern Kaliningrad. Despite the bad weather conditions, the reconnaissance unit managed to track down the hostile group. [3]

A special training was held at the  the Marine Corps Training Center, part of the Joint Training Center of the Russian Navy, where marines trained in overcoming vertical surfaces. The training is an integral part of the marines assigned to anti-terror groups stationed on Russia warships and was reportedly led by the senior instructor in mountain training at the Marine Corps Training Center, Lieutenant Commander Daniil Yurakov. Overcoming vertical surfaces is a required field of expertise for marines in order to embark and disembark from highjacked vessels. [5]

October 15

Deputy defense minister Lieutenant General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov conducted a visit to the Khmelevka and Pravdinsky training grounds in Kaliningrad and inspected the readiness of the facilities and military units assigned to the 11 Army Corps stationed at Kaliningrad. The deputy defense minister visited both training grounds, familiarized himself with the characteristics of the Zubr class landing ship RFS Evgeny Kocheshkov and witnessed a live firing exercise of one of the companies belonging to the 11th Arnmored Regiment. [7] [9]

Bal and Bastion coastal missile batteries were deployed in a regular training drill at Kaliningrad. The missile systems were deployed from their base towards firing positions in order to engage a simulated hostile surface fleet. The crews conducted electronic launches upon receiving the location of the targets. which led to the successful destruction of the hostile task force. The crews also trained loading and unloading the missile systems during this exercise. [8]

Engineers have defused 15 unexploded artillery shells dating back from the Second World War. Fourteen of these artillery shells were found at  Primorskaya Street in Zelenogradsk and were identified as eight 100mm shells, three 82mm shells, two 72mm shells and one 120mm shell. A 85mm artillery shell was also found at Pritselnaya Street in Kaliningrad.
The engineers defused the ammunition and brought them to a unspecified training ground for subsequent destruction. [6]

October 16

Russian sources report that the summer training exercises at the Khmelevka and Pravdinsky training grounds is coming to an end. Several subunits of the 336th Naval Infantry Brigade and elements of the 11th Army Corps have showed good results during these exercises. [9]

October 17

Around ten Su-24M bombers and Su-30SM fighter aircraft of the Naval Aviation Regiment struck ground targets at the training grounds in eastern Kaliningrad. Pilots were given a grid square to engage and had to asses the situation on the ground upon arrival before striking the ground targets. Bombing took place from altitudes between 500 and 1,000 meters and was conducted with DOSAB-100T and P-50T bombs. The targets were simulated command posts, fighting positions, simulated troop concentrations and military equipment. [10] [11]

October 18

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the completion of the driver and mechanics course for servicemen stationed in Kaliningrad. Since the beginning of the year, over 1.000 servicemen have completed the courses in order to drive and operate tracked and wheeled vehicles. Training took place at the Pugachevo training ground where there is a facility to practice overcoming water barriers. [12]