Russian Navy - News and Analysis

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...

  Baltic Fleet January 22 Amur class repair vessel PM-82 and rescue tug Sergey Balk remain in the Bay of the Seine, probably until the weather in the North Sea has cleared for an easier passage towards the Baltic Sea [ 1 ]. January 24 Lada class submarine Kronstadt is reportedly commissioned into the Baltic Fleet [ 2 ]. January 27 Amur class repair vessel PM-82 and rescue tug Sergey Balk were visually observed entering the Baltic Sea [ 3 ]. Kaliningrad January 22 200 signalmen trained in setting up alternative means of communications after a simulated enemy suppressed normal means of communication [ a ]. January 26 Around 100 soldiers were enrolled in a class on how to perform reconnaissance and transmit enemy positions and troops [ b ].

Baltic Fleet January 19 Amur class repair vessel PM-82 and rescue tug Sergey Balk have started their transit through the English Channel and are heading towards the Baltic Sea following a deployment in the Mediterranean [ 1 ]. January 20 The Russian Ministry of Defense reports that 10 crews have completed the training shedule of daily ship operations while the vessel is moored inside the base. The next stage will involve the K-2 task which involve ship-operations while at sea. The fleet can thus be expected to head out to sea to train combat operations in the near future [ 2 ]. January 21 Amur class repair vessel PM-82 and rescue tug Sergey Balk are sheltering in the Bay of the Seine to avoid the bad weather created by Storm Isha [ 3 ]. Kaliningrad January 15 A company of snipers was reported active at one of the training ranges for regular firing exercises [ a ]. A company of Naval Infantry was active at a training range in Kaliningrad. The unit trained in small arms firing in coopera...

Summery Following a three year hiatus, the Baltic Fleet once again held an Ocean-Shield exercise. Contrary to previous editions, the security situation for Russia in the Baltic Sea has changed significantly due to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Most countries in the Baltic are now on a hostile footing with Russia, compared to a more neutral stance in 2020 when the last Ocean Shield exercise took place. Also, al countries surrounding the Baltic Sea are now either part of NATO or in the process of joining NATO.  Ocean Shield 2023 will thus have to take this new security situation in account. Daily Events August 2 The Russian Ministry of defense reported the start of the Ocean Shield 2023 naval exercise in the Baltic Sea. The exercise is held under the leadership of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral Nikolai Evmenov and will involved around 30 warships, 20 support vessels and 30 aircraft of the naval aviation [ 1 ]. Altay class fleet oiler Yalyna is expected to make ...

  Daily Events February 27 Buyan-M class corvette Zeleny Dol, Karakurt class missile boats Sovetsk and Odintsovo and Tarantul class missile boat Dmitrovgrad departed the naval base at Kaliningrad. The vessels will hold air-defense and anti-ship exercises in the Baltic Sea. A mock naval battle will also take place as part of the exercise. Simulated missile strikes with electronic launches as well as passive jamming will be part of the combat exercise. Additional tasks reportedly also include firing the main guns against naval and air targets, joint maneuvering, communication exercises and anti-sabotage defense while at anchor [ 1 ]. March 02 Tarantul class missile boat Passat held an air defense exercise of Cape Taran. An Akatsiya self-propelled gun fired several air targets which were engaged by the AK-630 and AK-176 gun systems. The exercise was followed by a gunnery exercise against a floating target. The series of exercises were completed with the electronic launch of Malac...

  Daily Events July 04 Helicopter crews of the Baltic Fleet Naval Aviation are conduction several exercises within the Kaliningrad Region with around 20 helicopter crews being involved. Ka-27 and Ka-27PS are reported to train in detecting and engaging hostile warships in the Baltic Sea. Mi-24 and Mi-8 attack helicopters will focus on providing fire support by engaging simulated command posts, enemy vehicles and troop concentrations and provide reconnaissance for friendly troops. Around 50 sorties are planned to take place, both during the day and night [ 1 ]. July 05 A company sized unit of the 336th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Baltic Fleet practiced embarkation and debarkation drills on board of the Zubr class hovercraft Mordovia. The marines also provided air defense during this exercise by deploying teams armed with Igla and Strela man-portable air defense systems [ 2 ]. Minesweeper Novocheboksarsk conducted several exercises while at sea. The vessel engaged sim...

Weekly Brief Limited naval activity took place on June 29 and 30th with a task force of four vessels conducting naval and air defense exercises against simulated targets. In total, two Steregushchy class corvettes and two Nanuchka class missile boats were involved. Naval aviation aircraft trained in their secondary roles in providing air support for ground troops. Up to  Su-24 and Su-30SM aircraft were involved dropping bombs on training ranges at Kaliningrad. Sovremennyy class destroyer Nastoychivy  made the transfer to Kronstadt towards Baltiysk under tow. The destroyer is expected to dock at Yantar for the completion of its maintenance. Daily Events June 27 Several warships of the Russian Navy were observed moored inside the Kronstadt naval base near Saint Petersburg [ 1 ]. The vessels observed included two Steregushchy class corvettes, Sovremennyy class destroyer Bespokoynyy, Kilo class submarine Dmitrov, a Lada class submarine and a Tarantul class missile boat. June 28 So...

Weekly Brief Russian naval activity in de Baltic Sea winded down as NATO's Baltops2022 exercises ended. Several exercises were held but most vessels returned back to base with the exception of three vessels heading towards Saint Petersburg. Naval activity is expected to remain low in the coming weeks as the Russian Navy prepares for the Navy Day parade in Saint Petersburg. Daily Events June 20 Steregushchy class corvette Soobrazitelny conducted a tactical exercise in the Baltic Sea. The corvette engaged a simulated hostile warship with the Uran anti-ship missiles, however it is not reported if the launch was an actual one or a simulated one. The exercise was followed up with an air defense exercise which saw the use of the AK-190mm main gun system. Additional exercises later during the day included electronic warfare, damage control, anti-sabotage and setting up communications with other warships [ 1 ]. June 21 Parachim class anti-submarine corvettes Kazanets and Urengoy, together ...

  Daily Events August 16 An Improved Kilo class submarine operated in the Gulf of Finland during the morning hours. The submarine was most likely the RFS Magadan for the Pacific Fleet which currently undergoing the factory sea trails which will include deep dives and checking the onboard systems such as sonar and navigation equipment [ 1 ] [ 2 ]. August 18 The Improved Kilo class submarines RFS Petropavlosk-Kamchatskiy and RFS Volkhov have departed the Baltic Sea and passed the Great Belt bridge at 1055Z. Both submarines are assigned to the Pacific Fleet and will most likely pass through the Mediterranean [ 3 ]. Frigate RFS Neustrashimy has started her mooring trails following a period of repairs and modernization at the Yantar shipyards. The vessel will work through 41 points before being allowed to start the sea trails. The mooring trails are expected to be completed in October [ 4 ].

Weekly Brief A large task force of at least eight warships was present at an amphibious landing exercise at Kaliningrad on August 11. This task force, from a naval point of view, trained in interoperability and supporting amphibious landing vessels with shore bombardment and mine clearing operations. Ivan Grenn landing vessel RFS Pyotr Morgunov reentered the Baltic Sea due the exact reasons for her return remain unknown. The vessel most likely will pick up the Northern Fleet marines and their heavy equipment and transport them back to their base. Daily Events August 10 Ivan Grenn class landing ship RFS Pyotr Morgunov passed through the Oresund during the early morning and headed into the Baltic Sea [ 1 ]. August 11 As part of the their bilateral training exercise, around 100 marines of the Baltic and Northern Fleets performed an amphibious landing at the Khmelevka training ground in the Kaliningrad Region. The marines were embarked on the Ropucha class LST RFS Minsk and the Zubr class ...

Weekly Brief At least three submarines were at sea this week, all of them Improved Kilo class submarines. Submarine operations were limited to training the crew of the RFs Krasnodar and completing factory trails of the RFS Magadan. A Kalibr missile exercise was also held  with two small missile ships conducting electronic launches.  Naval activity decreased by the end of the week due to bad weather over the Baltic Sea. Daily Events August 02 Improved Kilo class submarine RFS Krasnodar held a deep diving exercises with depths going to 190 meters. The crew trained operating the submarine at these depths and practiced several methods for surfacing. In the coming days, the submarine will also train firing torpedoes against surface and subsurface targets, lay minefields and train to avoid maritime patrols conducted by anti-submarine helicopters [ 1 ]. The training course is part of the so called L-3 training program [ 2 ]. The exercise took place near the Gotland Deep with Kas...

Weekly Sitrep Naval activity during this week was almost entirely dominated by Northern Fleet warships leaving the Baltic Sea following their participation in the Navy Day Parade. Training exercises at Kaliningrad continue along the objectives of the summer training program with training now taking place at the battalion level. Daily Events July 27 A special tactical for engineering troops was held on the Khmelevka training ground in Kaliningrad which saw the deployment of 300 soldiers and 200 pieces of military equipment. The engineers were tasked in conducting reconnaissance and clearing routes from mines after which army convoys could pass. During this task, the engineers also had to defend themselves against attacks from simulated enemy reconnaissance forces [ 1 ]. July 28 Steregushchy class corvette RFS Boiky left the port of Baltiysk during the early afternoon. The vessel could be providing local security for the transit of the Northern Fleets nuclear submarine that were pres...

Weekly Brief Naval exercises were limited to the simulated launch of Kalibr cruise missiles by the Karakurt class corvette RFS Mytischchi as it was heading out to sea. The exercise is a break from normal missile exercises as it did not take place while the ship was fully at sea. Instead it took place while the vessel was heading through a narrow passage after just leaving port. Russian warships could be training to be ready for offensive operations from the moment they leave port. New leadership in junior positions are being filled with around 130 young lieutenants joining the navy and coastal missile defense units at Kaliningrad. Additional training will take place the coming weeks in order to get these officers battle ready. New frontline fighter aircraft will join the naval aviation in the near future as the Su-30SM2 will be replacing the Su-27 in at least two regiments. Daily Events July 20 Around 150 soldiers and 30 pieces of military equipment took part in a tank combat exercise ...

Weekly Brief Naval activity remained limited to the Gulf of Gdansk at the beginning of the week and the preparations for the Navy Day parade at Saint Petersburg. Training at Kaliningrad continued with a combat readiness check taking place by the end of the week. Daily Events July 12 RMP Kaliningrad issued a navigation warning on 5894.5 KHz at 1853Z which warns of naval training in the Gulf of Gdanks. The training takes place between July 12-17 during the day, 0809Z-1600Z. The center position is reported as 54 44 N 19 23 E with dangers to navigation stretching two nautical miles form this position [ 1 ]. The stress resilience of 200 soldiers was tested and monitored at a specialized psychological obstacle course in Kaliningrad. The soldiers have to overcome an obstacle course with burning walls, destroyed infrastructure while the sound of explosions and bullets us being played. The goal is to have the soldiers withstand high neuropsychic stress and act confidently as intended in stressf...

Weekly Brief Aside from the influx of several Northern Fleet warships, naval activity remained largely absent in the Baltic Sea as the Baltic Fleet is preparing for the Navy Day parade on July 25. The first training session for this parade started by the end of the week in the Gulf of Finland. Submarine operations were reported in the Gotland Deep on July 08 with at least one Kilo class submarines. Over the past weeks, the two Pacific Fleet Improved Kilo class submarines have been at sea for training before being sent from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Training exercises in Kaliningrad are at a normal level as the new conscripts are being trained up to meet the necessary standard. once the quality of the troops increase, the exercises will become larger and more complex. Daily Events July 05 Oscar-II class nuclear submarine K-266 Orel passed through the Great Belt bridge and entered the Baltic Sea at 08:52 local time [ 1 ]. The submarine will take part in the Navy Day parade at ...

Weekly Brief With the majority of the Baltic Fleet stationed near Saint Petersburg and preparing for the Navy Day parade on July 25, no naval activity was reported throughout the week. Land forces stationed a Kaliningrad continued their summer training program with a reported emphasis on how to operated tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and trucks. Conscripts are being brought up to standard so that they can participate in the Zapad-21 military exercise. Daily Events June 28 Several vessels of the Northern Fleet have left Severomorsk and are headed for the Baltic Sea where they are to arrive in the beginning of July [ 1 ]. The vessels, identified as the Slava class cruiser RFS Marshal Utsinov, Udaloy class destroyer RFS Admiral Kulakov, landing vessel RFS Pyotr Morguniv and the rescue tug Altai, will take part in the Navy Day at Saint Petersburg and train with the Baltic Fleet. June 29 A large scale multi-day exercise has started at Kaliningrad, lead by the corps commander. The exercis...

  Daily Events June 21 Tank crews stationed in Kaliningrad held a night time combat training exercise which saw the use of the tank carousel. Around 100 tankers, manning 30 T-72B3M tanks, took part in the exercise during which they engaged targets between 200 and 2.200 meters. The amount of tanks used in the exercise suggest a battalion size unit was involved [ 1 ]. The naval aviation regiment held several tactical flight exercise which saw the use of around 20 helicopters, including Mi-24 and Mi-8 as well as Ka-27 and Ka-27PS helicopters. The training focused on the regular tasks performed by the naval aviation regiment such as engaging ground troops and command posts, conduct reconnaissance and searching for submarines [ 2 ]. June 23 The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that helicopter training continued for the naval avaition regiment. Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters fired around 50 unguided rockets and expended over a thousand 30mm shells against simulated enemy positions, parke...

  Daily Events June 14 Several Russian warships were observed on satellite imagery outside the port of Baltiysk. These vessels were reported as a Steregushchy and Gremyashchy class corvette, two Karakurt class corvettes, three Tarantul III class missile boats and one Nanucka III class missile boat [ 1 ]. The Tarantul and Nanuchka class vessels are part of the 36th Missile ship Brigade. It is most likely that these vessels took part in the air defense exercise reported by TvZvezda which involved several corvettes and missile boats [ 2 ]. Su-24 and Su-30SM fighter bombers played the part of enemy aircraft during this exercise. The vessels were reportedly successful in repelling the airstrike with their missile and artillery systems. June 15 TASS news agency reported that two Tu-160 strategic bombers conducted an eight hour long flight over the Baltic Sea. During their flight, the bombers were escorted by Su-35S and Su-27 fighter aircraft of the Baltic Naval Aviation. Italian F-35s, D...

Summary In the second half of March, an unusual deployment of Ropucha class landing ship-tank (LST) was observed in the North Sea and Mediterranean. Two separate groups, one of the Northern and Baltic Fleet each, were observed heading into the Mediterranean for an unknown deployment.  The first group to be observed consisted of all three operational active Ropucha's belonging to the Baltic Fleet, escorted by the Steregushchy class corvette RFS Boiky. All four vessels passed the English Channel on March 20, suggesting a normal training cruise up the Atlantic Ocean. However, on March 22 a second group passed through the North Sea and these vessels were identified as the Ropucha class LSTs RFS Aleksandr Otrakovskiy and the RFS Kondopoga under the escort of rescue tug SB-406. This group comprised half of all Ropucha class LSTs in service in the Northern Fleet. Only four of the five Ropucha's were heading to the Mediterranean, with the RFS Minks being spotted heading back into the B...