Naval News – The changing tide of the Ukraine War appear to have led the Russian Navy to ‘regroup’ its forces in the Black Sea. Early during the invasion they loitered boldly close to Odessa. Now the Black Sea Fleet barely sails out of sight of Crimea for fear of Harpoon missiles. Its submarines too have recently shifted their base further from the shadow of Ukrainian attack.

Naval News – Nuclear submarines are the most powerful, and most survivable, assets in the Russian Navy. Against the backdrop of dramatic naval losses in the war in Ukraine, they are the ace up the sleeve. Now a nuclear submarine appears to be playing cat and mouse with NATO forces in the Mediterranean.

Naval News – Russia is prevented from moving its warships from the Mediterrean to the Black Sea because Turkey closed the Bosporus to warships. The narrow straits control access. Yet Russia has been able to transport advanced weapons systems, such as S-300 missiles, through the straits to support the war in Ukraine.

USNI News – A group of 14 Russian Navy ships transited through La Pérouse Strait from the Western Pacific Ocean into the Sea of Japan ahead of Russian military drills scheduled to start next week, the Japan Ministry of Defense said on Monday.

Forbes – The commanders of the Russian navy’s Black Sea Fleet are scared to send their surviving surface warships beyond sight of the Crimean coast.

Breaking Defense – Russia’s new maritime doctrine signals its intent to challenge the United States and allies on the seas, but there is skepticism about the country’s ability to build a fleet capable of doing that given its limited options for shipyards and weakened supply chains.

Covert Shores – Russia’s main naval base in the Black Sea, Sevastopol, is guarded by the latest S-400 air-defense system. The real S-400 missiles have recently been moved from their permanent launch site however. Russian TV has shown inflatable replacements at the site. These are decoys, a common and well-publicised Russian tactic.

(Thanks to Alain)

War Zone – Russia’s Arktur design features a number of interesting elements, including a new drive concept and what appear to be unmanned guard submarines.

The Guardian – Russia has claimed that its Black Sea fleet headquarters in Sevastopol have been hit by a Ukrainian drone strike, wounding five people and prompting officials to cancel festivities planned for Navy Day.

USNI News – Russia launched missiles from a submarine to strike a civilian business center in Vinnytsia.

War Zone – Reports from Russia suggest the country is the latest to develop an anti-ship ballistic missile, or ASBM, the class of weapon that’s popularly dubbed ‘carrier killer.’ The previously unknown missile project, known by the Russian name Zmeyevik (meaning serpentinite, a type of rock), would potentially add a powerful new dynamic to the Kremlin’s anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) strategy.

USNI News – A Russian Navy submarine armed with a strategic nuclear torpedo the size of a school bus was delivered to the Kremlin this week, according to an announcement from the shipyard.

War Zone – Deployment of decoy barges and smokescreens implies Russia is preparing for a possible attack on its highly prized Kerch Strait Bridge.

BMPD – It is reported that on June 25, 2022, a large diesel-electric submarine B-588 “Ufa” (factory number 01617) of project 06363, built for the Russian Navy in St. Petersburg at JSC “Admiralty Shipyards” (part of JSC “United Shipbuilding Corporation” – USC) for the first time entered the factory sea trials. This is the fourth of six project 06363 submarines under construction for the Pacific Fleet. (In Russian)

(Thanks to Alain)

Naval News – Russia is locked in increased tensions with NATO, primarily as a result of the invasion of Ukraine. The strategically relevant exclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic may be another flashpoint. Now Russia has deployed advanced anti-ship missiles to firing positions on the coast.

CIMSEC – While Moskva was a large and capable surface warship that invited comparisons with the losses of larger combatants, the Russian cruiser’s demise may have much more in common with that of the Royal Navy Type 42 destroyer Sheffield than Belgrano or any World War II warship.

War Zone – After an eventful career, the sole pump-jet-driven Kilo class submarine is likely about to embark on combat operations against Ukraine.

RUSI – Constraints on Russia’s shipbuilding industry and its finances mean it is increasingly likely that its surface navy will evolve into a green water fleet based around frigates and corvettes.

War Zone – Placing the Tor surface-to-air missile system on the Corvette was likely an improvised countermeasure following the sinking of the Moskva.

Euroweekly – The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence’s intelligence unit is reporting that some Russian sailors are refusing to carry out combat tasks on the country’s warships due to them being in such critical condition and commanders taking maintenance money.

(Thanks to Alain)

Barents Observer – The country’s revised Marine Doctrine includes a high stress on use of civilian ships and infrastructure for military purposes.

Comment is Freed – Sir Lawrence Freedman writes that “There is, however, another aspect to this war which has received insufficient attention, though it is now slowly coming into focus and where pressure could build for a NATO operation. This is the need to relieve the blockade Russia has successfully inflicted on Ukraine’s southern ports in the Black Sea. This is urgent not only because of the effect on Ukraine’s battered economy but also on supplies of essential agricultural products to the rest of the world. If Russian forces continue to be pushed back, and as the diplomacy to bring the war to a conclusion is stepped up, this will be a critical issue to be addressed, possibly linked to Russian demands for relief from sanctions. If this is not addressed diplomatically then there could be demands on the major maritime powers to mount freedom of navigation operations to break the blockade.”

Naval News – One of Russia’s first moves in its invasion of Ukraine was the capture of Snake Island. Two months later they are desperately struggling to keep it. This is a sign of their weakening dominance over the Northern Black Sea.

USNI News – The crew of RTS Moskva was blind to and not ready for the Ukrainian missile attack that sank Russia’s Black Sea flagship, according to a new analysis of the April 13 strike reviewed by USNI News.

USNI Proceedings – Russia’s megaton-class Kanyon weapon disrupts arms control and deterrence.