Russian Navy - News and Analysis

Out of Area Deployments Tuesday April 29th Stereguschy class corvettes Rezky and Aldar Tsydenzhapov, together with fleet oiler Pechenga, arrived in the port of Sihanoukville, Cambodia  link . Thursday May 1st Russian cargo vessels Baltic Leader, Siyanie Servera and Patria are reported east of Bronholm island. The vessels are escorted by Steregushchy class corvette Boiky link . Friday May 2nd Improved Kilo class submarine Krasnodar and rescue tug Evgeniy Churov have started to transit the English Channel in the direction of the North Sea  link . Steregushchy class corvette Boiky departed the Baltic Sea together with the cargo vessels Baltic Leader and Patria link . Saturday May 3rd Improved Kilo class submarine Krasnodar and rescue tug Evgeniy Churov completed their transit through the English Channel and entered the North Sea link . Sunday May 4th Steregushchy class corvette Boiky entered the North Sea together with the cargo vessels Baltic Leader, Siy...

Daily Events April 15th The Russian ministry of defense reports that the Russian Baltic Fleet has started a naval exercise aimed to protect civilian maritime traffic against UAV, USV and submarine attacks. The exercise will involve 20 warships and support ships as well as 5.000 servicemen and 10 helicopters and aircraft link . Steregushchy class corvettes Soobrazitelny and Boiky headed to sea and engaged in several combat exercises which involved simulated launches of Uran anti-ship missiles as well as air defense exercise with simulated enemy attacks coming from different heights and directions. Both vessels then took on water and fuel from the small sea tanker Alexander Grebenshchikov. During the replenishment, anti-terrorist teams onboard of the corvettes held several drills aimed to protect the vessels against sabotage link . Parachim class anti-submarine corvettes Kabardino-Balkariya and Aleksin held gunnery exercises with their 76mm and 30mm weapon systems against unmann...

Task Force Composition As reported by OSINT at the morning of Apr-28 Weekly Brief The Improved Kilo class submarine Krasnodar departed the Mediterranean at the end of the week. Without a dedicated supply base, deployment of Kilo Class submarines is drastically shortened from 6 months to a mere 10 weeks or roughly 1/3rd if what the deployment time was when the submarines could use Tartus. A rotation of forces is probable with the arrival of the Steregushchy class corvette Soobrazitelny arriving in Mediterranean. Her arrival could result in the frigate Admiral Grigorovich being recalled to the Baltic Sea for maintenance. This frigate has been at sea almost interrupted since December 2024 when the Russian forces were no longer allowed to stay in Syria. Daily Events April 20 Russian cargo vessel Maia-1 entered the Mediterranean at 16:30 via the Strait of Gibraltar  link . Kilo class submarine Krasnodar and its escorting tug Evgeny Churov have arrived in the port of Algiers, Algeria lin...

  Daily Events Monday April 21st A Russian warship is reported in the Southwestern Approaches of the English Channel. The vessel is either the frigate Admiral Golovko returning from the Mediterranean or the corvette Soobrazitelny  link . Tuesday April 22nd Steregushchy class corvettes Rezkyi and Aldar Tsydenzhapov, together with the escorting fleet oiler Pechenga, departed the port of Chittagong, Bangladesh  link . Wednesday  April 23rd Fleet oiler Kola allegedly passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean. The vessel could operate together with Baltic Fleet Steregushchy class corvette Soobrazitelny  link . Frigate Admiral Golovko has completed her passage through the English Channel and entered the North Sea link . Thursday April 24th Steregushchy class corvettes Rezkyi and Aldar Tsydenzhapov, together with the escorting fleet oiler Pechenga, arrived at Sattahip, Thailand link .

  Northern Fleet Monday April 21st Rescue submarine AS-36 and its carrier vessel Mikhail Rudnitsky held training exercises at Kola Bay  link . Tuesday April 22nd Admiral Gorshkov class frigates Admiral Gorshkov and Admiral Kasatonov departed their base for several days of naval warfare exercises at the Kola Bay. During the departure, both vessels were escorted by the minehunters  Vladimir Gumanenko and Solovetsky Junga link . Grisha class anti-submarine corvettes Brest, Yunga and Snezhnogorsk of the Kola Flotilla are holding anti-submarine exercises in the Barents Sea. An undisclosed submarine of the Northern Fleet will play the role of enemy submarine link . Wednesday April 23rd Grisha class anti-submarine corvettes Brest, Yunga and Snezhnogorsk of the Kola Flotilla held an anti-submarine exercise. All three vessels coordinated their actions to search for a hostile submarine, evade torpedo attacks and launch counterattacks. A practice torpedo without warhead was lau...

Task Force Composition As reported by OSINT at the morning of Apr-12 Weekly Brief The Russian task force is being reduced to one frigate operating in the Mediterranean following the departure of the Admiral Golovko. At this point, the Russian forces in the Mediterranean are more evolving to an intelligence gathering and monitoring force, rather then a real combat task force. The mean elements are currently the intelligence collection vessel Viktor Leonov which refueled in Algiers on April 17th and is ready to keep track of NATO task forces. A second element is the submarine Krasnodar which most likely kept track of the Italian led naval exercise Mare Aperto 2025 where it was detected and tracked by a Spanish frigate. Her supporting escort tug was last reported near Sardinia, possibly on station to resupply and refuel the submarine. Daily Events April 14 Frigate Admiral Grigorovich probably departed the area near the port of Tartus, Syria link . Vishnya class intelligence collection ves...

Task Force Composition As reported by OSINT at the morning of Apr-12 Weekly Brief Russian forces appear to be hard pressed in the Eastern Mediterranean from a logistics point of view. The two remaining frigates now rely on neutral port visits and a supporting rescue tug for refueling operations to extend their operational stay in the Mediterranean. The presence of the rescue tug Evgniy Churov south of Crete might suggest that the submarine Krasnodar is also in this area. Daily Events April 5 Frigate Admiral Golovko and fleet oiler Vyazma visited the port of Alexandria, Egypt  link . April 9 Frigate Admiral Grigorovich and navy tug Evgniy Churov were observed in a refueling at sea operation south of Crete  link .

Task Force Composition As reported by OSINT at the morning of Apr-05 Weekly Brief Another drawdown of military forces took place during the week with the intelligence collection vessel Kildin departing the Mediterranean via the Strait of Gibraltar. The RFS Kildin was observed escorting two Russian maritime vessels, presumed to be Lady D and Bering. Both cargo vessels could be carrying military equipment from Tartus towards Saint Petersburg. Fleet oiler Vyazma was observed at Alexandria, Egypt during the morning of April 5th. The vessel most likely conducted a resupply stop. Her arrival at Alexandria comes a week after she was observed at Tartus, indicating that she probably refueled the two Russian frigates left operating in the Eastern Mediterranean.  Daily Events April 4 Moma class intelligence collection vessel Kildin departed the Mediterranean via the Strait of Gibraltar [ 1 ]. The vessel was escorting the Russian merchant vessels Lady D and Bering [ 2 ]. April 5 The AIS signal...