Russian Navy - News and Analysis

 

  Northern Fleet Monday July 07 Il-38 maritime patrol aircraft flew anti-submarine training missions over the Barents Sea with an unidentified submarine playing the part of a simulated hostile submarine. The focus of the training flights was on searching for and detecting submarines using several various instruments and systems link . Tuesday July 08 Slava class cruiser Marshal Ustinov deployed to the Barents Sea for basic training. The crew focused on daily tasks while at sea. Naval exercises involved a simulated missile strike against a simulated enemy task force and gunnery exercises against a simulated USV attack link . Thursday July 10 Udaloy class destroyer Admiral Levchenko deployed to the Barents Sea for several combat exercises. The exercises involved establishing radio contact with other units, anti-submarine evasion drills, and coordination with helicopters link . Baltic Fleet Monday July 07 Buyan-M class corvettes Naro-Fominsk, Zeleny Dol and Serpukhov simulated th...

Weekly Overview Northern Fleet Tuesday July 01 A Tu-142 maritime patrol flight conducted an 11-hour long patrol over the Barents Sea link . Wednesday July 02 Minesweeper Kotelnich is holding mine countermeasure exercises with the vessel searching for and destroying simulated minefields. The vessel will also hold damage control exercises link . Baltic Fleet Monday June 30 Steregushchy class corvette Boiky held electronic launches of its Uran anti-ship missiles against a group of simulated enemy warships. The exercise was followed up by air defense and electronic warfare exercises link . The vessel was later observed departing the Baltic Sea while escorting the weapons runner Sparta and tanker General Skobelev link . Anti-drone exercises took place at the naval bases of Baltiysk and Saint-Petersburg with Su-27 fighters simulating an UAV attack against the naval bases. Base units set up air defense and electronic warfare measures to repel the simulated airstrike link . Vasily Byk...

Weekly Overview Northern Fleet Monday June 23 Grisha class anti-submarine corvettes Snezhnogorsk and Onega of the Kola Flotilla were reported training in the Barents Sea. Both corvettes were tasked with laying a minefield while under air attack. The corvettes used man portable air defense systems and ship mounted air defense systems to repel the simulated air attack link . Tuesday June 24 The Northern Fleet started search and rescue exercises in the Barents Sea which involve the submarine rescue vessel Georgy Titov and rescue submarine AS-36. The exercises will involve searching for simulated sunken vessels and divers operating at depths of 40 meters link .  A Tu-142MK anti-submarine maritime patrol aircraft landed at Severomorsk-1 link . Udaloy class destroyers Severomorsk and Admiral Levchenko were visually observed in port link . Wednesday June 25 Borei-A class submarine Knyaz Pozharskiy was visually observed departing Severomorsk link . Friday June 27 Udaloy class des...

Weekly Overview Northern Fleet Wednesday June 18 Two Il-38 maritime patrol aircraft were deployed over the Barents Sea during an anti-submarine training exercise. The aircraft were tasked to search for simulated enemy submarines, a role played by several submarines of the Northern Fleet link . Friday June 20 An unidentified Udaloy class destroyer of the Northern Fleet entered the Baltic Sea link . The vessel was later reported as the Vice-Admiral Kulakov link . Baltic Fleet Monday June 16 A combat exercise was held involving the Buyan-M class corvettes Naro-Fominsk, Zeleny Dol and Serpukhov. All three vessels held electronic/simulated launches against coastal targets of a simulated enemy. At the same time, Bastion anti-ship missile systems were deployed and simulated launches against seaborn targets before relocation to new firing positions link . Parachim class anti-submarine corvettes Aleksin and Kabardino-Balkaria held tactical exercises at the Baltic Fleet training grounds. The...

  Daily Events May 29 Frigate Admiral Grigorovich was observed on satellite imagery while anchored near the Syrian port of Tartus link .

  Daily Overview Wednesday May 14th Russian sea going tug Evgeniy Churov entered the English Channel during the afternoon link . Thursday May 15th Russian sea going tug Evgeniy Churov departed the English Channel at the Ushant TSS during the afternoon link . 

Task Force Composition As reported by OSINT at the morning of May-12 Weekly Brief The Russian Navy appears to have established a refueling point northwest of Al Hoceima, Morocco in order to support out of area operations by the Russian Navy. Steregushchy class corvette Boiky made use of this refueling point on May 12th to refuel before heading back to the Atlantic Ocean and heading south along the African coast, while escorting two Russian merchant vessels. The arrival of the sea going tug Evgeniy Churov might indicate a new submarine deployment in the Mediterranean. Previously, this tug supported the Improved Kilo class submarine Krasnodar during her deployment in the Western Mediterranean. Daily Events May 12 Russian Steregushchy class corvette Boiky and Russian cargo vessels Siyanie Severa and Patria entered the Mediterranean via the Strait of Gibraltar during the morning hours link . The vessels then proceeded to an area northwest of Al Hoceima, Morocco where the corvette Boiky...

Task Force Composition As reported by OSINT at the morning of May-05 Weekly Brief OSINT sources report minimal naval activity in the Mediterranean. It appears that Russia is still in the process of evacuating military equipment from Syria as a new weapons runner, the Ascalon, was observed entering the Mediterranean.  Frigate Admiral Grigorovich remains on station close to the port of Tartus. The frigate has been at sea since December with almost no port visits. Daily Events April 29 Russian RoRo vessel Ascalon was observed passing through the Strait of Gibraltar and entering the Mediterranean link . May 4 Frigate Admiral Grigorovich was observed via satellite imagery in a position about 17 kilometers northwest of Tartus, Syria link .

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...

Task Force Composition As reported by OSINT at the morning of Mar-29 Weekly Brief The Russian Navy appears to be reusing Tartus as a logistic base for its Mediterranean operations. Satellite imagery shows fleet oiler Vyazma present in Tartus. The fleet oiler most likely is refueling in order to support other Russian vessels operating at sea. It seems unlikely that Russia will regain full access to the naval base at Tartus at this moment but port visits and replenishment stops might be allowed as they allow for a source of revenue for the Syrian Government. Two Russian tankers were also reported recently delivering crude oil to the port of Banayas in recent days. It appears that Russia and Syria have made an agreement regarding oil and fuel deliveries. The continuation of crude oil deliveries by Russia to Syria is not a surprise. Syria needs fuel to keep its economy and society going and finds it difficult to trade with other partners while Russia is looking for buyers for its crude oil...

Task Force Composition As reported by OSINT at the morning of Mar-15 Weekly Brief A new large weapons convoy departed the Mediterranean under the escort of the Ropucha class landing vessel Alexandr Shabalin while the port of Algiers continues to serve as an important refueling hub for Russians vessels moving in and out of the Mediterranean.  Both frigates are still presumed doing escort duties in the Mediterranean though wear and tear will start to impact their performance and a port visit to give the crews some rest might take place in the near future. Daily Events March 09 Russian cargo vessel Lady Mariia, known to be a weapons runner, has been observed near the port of Algiers, Algeria [ 1 ]. March 10 The Russian cargo vessel Lady Mariia reportedly left the port of Algiers during the night [ 2 ]. March 11 The frigate Admiral Grigorovich is assumed to be in the Western Mediterranean [ 2 ]. March 12 The Russian cargo vessels Sparta IV, Siyanie Severa and Ascalon, all three escorte...

Task Force Composition As reported by OSINT at the morning of Feb-22 Weekly Brief Russia's withdrawal from the Syrian port of Tartus continues though at a more slow and stable pace. Weapon runner Sparta IV and Ropucha class landing vessel Alexandr Shabalin were observed loading military equipment at the port of Tartus. At the same time, the cargo vessel Baltic Leader made its way towards the Strait of Gibraltar though the vessel made use of the port of Algiers for refueling. It appears that the port of Algiers will now play a critical part in sustaining Russia's presence and operations in the Mediterranean by providing replenishment of fuel and supplies during port visists.  Daily Events February 17 Ropucha class landing vessel Alxandr Shabalin is observed in the port of Tartus, probably loading Russian military equipment [ 1 ]. February 20 Russian cargo vessel Baltic Leader departed Algiers after a port visit for refueling [ 2 ]. Frigate Admiral Grigovorvich was observed on sa...