Baltic Fleet Deployments - Wk 04/2021

January 25

Large scale combat readiness exercises have started in the Kaliningrad region which involve over 3.000 servicemen and 300 pieces of military equipment. The exercises are part of a multi-stage training program with the initial phase focused on the actions taken by the various sub-units. Later stages involve large scale units on company and battalion levels in coordination with the naval aviation regiment and air defense crews. The combat readiness exercises are reported to occur on a weekly basis. [1] [2]

January 26

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the berthing infrastructure in the port of Baltiysk will be modernized and updated by the end of 2021. In total, over 3km of infrastructure will be modernized and allow for the anchorage of various surface vessels such as patrol ships, corvettes, frigates and destroyer. Communication equipment at 16 of the 20 berthing places have already been modernized with new cables for communication and pipes for water supply being installed. Access roads towards the berthing places are also in the process of being repaired. [3]

January 28
A mine-counter measure exercise took place in the Baltic Sea which involved the minesweeper RFS Leonid Sobolev, Ropucha class landing vessel RFS Minsk and the Stereguschy class corvette RFS Soobrazitelny. The minesweeper was tasked in clearing a path through a hostile minefield and allow the passage of the landing vessel and the corvette. 
The final stage of the exercise involved the destruction of the floating mines through the use of the ship-mounted artillery systems. [4]

January 30
Ropucha class landing ship RFS Minsk held a mine laying exercise on the training ranges in the Baltic Sea. The LST laid 20 training mines on the bottom of the sea in order to set up a defensive minefield aimed to restrict the movement of submarines.
Following the mine laying exercise, the RFS Minsk held the necessary drills to protect the vessel and crew from a radiological contamination. [5]

January 31
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that a tank training was completed in the Kaliningrad Region. Around 200 servicemen and 20 pieces of military equipment were involved in the exercise that saw tanks engaging over 50 stationary and moving targets with their T-72 main battle tanks.
The exercise also focused on using the anti-aircraft machine gun against low flying and ground targets. The crews also trained other tasks such as loading ammunition, moving between positions and providing reconnaissance. [6]

Ship crews are undergoing damage control training as part of their K-1 training course. Training took place at the special UTK Caspian complex which simulates the interior of a ship. Crew members are tasked to detect fires and leaks in this complex and tqke the necessary steps to extingiush the flames and repair the damage. [7]

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