Naval News – The Russian Navy is applying a radical new approach to protecting its most valuable warships from Ukrainian attacks. A deceptive camouflage scheme has been applied to the frigate Admiral Essen. This tries to confuse Ukrainian drone operators into mistaking their target. How well it will work is open to question.

Naval News – The threat of Ukraine’s elite special forces divers must loom large in the minds of the Russian Navy. As well as extensive anti-torpedo nets and rocket launchers, Russia has increased the trained dolphins guarding Sevastopol in Crimea.

Naval News – In a new move, the Russian Navy has started building defenses at a secretive submarine base in the Arctic. The floating barrier is similar to what they have deployed in Crimea to protect against Ukrainian attacks. This is highly unusual.

RUSI – With attention increasingly focusing on Russian activity against Western critical infrastructure at sea, what is the nature of the threat and how can it be countered?

War Zone – The Russian military released video of a drone boat blowing up in an attack hundreds of miles from Ukrainian controlled territory.

US Naval War College Review – Russia’s grand military strategy has a distinct maritime bent, the Ukrainian south coast is Russia’s most tangible strategic prize, and naval forces are crucial to holding it. Since the war’s beginning, Ukraine’s carefully planned strategy has applied stress to key elements of Russia’s maritime strategy, and Ukraine’s theory of victory is shaped by maritime considerations as thoroughly as Russia’s.

BMPD – On April 27, 2023, a ceremony of launching a large diesel-electric submarine B-608 “Mozhaisk” (fatary number 01618) of project 06363, which is under construction for the Russian Navy, was held in St. Petersburg at JSC Admiralty Shipyardyards (part of JSC (partnery Corporation” – JSC “USCJSC) of project 06363. This is the fifth of six project 06363 submarines under construction for the Pacific Fleet. Its delivery by the Russian Navy is scheduled for the end of the year. (In Russian)

(Thanks to Alain)

BBC – Russian ships able to perform underwater operations were present near to where explosions later took place on the Nord Stream pipelines, according to an investigative documentary.

Guardian – A Russian navy vessel specialising in submarine operations was photographed near the sabotaged Nord Stream gas pipelines just prior to the mysterious September blasts, according to the Danish daily newspaper Information.

RBC – The lead non-nuclear submarine “St. Petersburg” is planned to be written off due to expensive repairs. (In Russian)

(Thanks to Alain)

Barents Observer – Russia boosts its subsea mapping and sabotage capability amid growing concerns in northern Europe over safety for seafloor infrastructure.

Navy Lookout – Investigations by Danish media have discovered that in the past year multiple Russian civilian vessels have been conducting a detailed reconnaissance of offshore wind farms, gas pipes and power cables in the Baltic and North Sea. Here we summarise what is known and the implications.

BBC – Russia has a programme to sabotage wind farms and communication cables in the North Sea, according to new allegations.

War is Boring – The Admiral Gorshkov has become the first Russian warship to dock in Saudi Arabia. 

(Thanks to Alain)

Navy Lookout – Head of the US Northern Command recently told Senators that Russia could have its most powerful Yasen (NATO name Severodvinsk) class attack submarines on persistent patrols off either of America’s coasts within two years which will “reduce decision space for a national senior leader in a time of crisis”. Here we look at these boats and the wider Russian submarine threat that is equally applicable to the UK and Europe.

War Zone – The carrier Admiral Kuznetsov needs to recruit crew members quickly if it’s going to rejoin the Russian Navy in 2024 on schedule.

Wavell Room – Shipbuilding was one of the worst hit sectors following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.  The legacy of this industrial disaster for 100,000s of workers and yards across the USSR (including Ukraine) persists to this day.  Russian maritime defence articles continue to make comparisons with that lost past.  The Russian debate is similar to British naval discourse constantly harking back to the navy that existed during the 1982 Falklands Conflict.

The sector has been under sanctions since 2014.  Post the February 2022 invasion, the sanctions regime has become far harsher.  This article reviews the impact of sanctions on Russian civilian and naval shipbuilding.

USNI News – Russia could have its most powerful and quiet nuclear attack submarines on persistent patrols off either U.S. Coast in the next two years, the head of U.S. Northern Command told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday.

Defense News – Russia this year will likely step up its presence in the Barents Sea and the Atlantic Ocean while lengthening its submarine deployments, according to a new Norwegian intelligence report.

RUSI – Russian moves to operationalise the Zircon hypersonic missile represent an important development, but the significance – especially in terms of the current conflict – should not be overstated.

War Zone – The operation to get the carrier out of its drydock began late last December, but the ship is still a ways from actually returning to service.

Defense News – Russia this year will likely step up its presence in the Barents Sea and the Atlantic Ocean while lengthening its submarine deployments, according to a new Norwegian intelligence report.

(Thanks to Alain)

El Snorkel – The Russian media Paluba.media publishes the first images of the interior of the balistic missile submarine Bulova “Generalissimo Suvorov” (In Spanish)

(Thanks to Alain)

CSIS – The impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine has been felt in the Arctic. The region’s primary diplomatic venue is paused, and military tensions are increasing. When Sweden and Finland join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), every Arctic country save Russia will be a member of the U.S.-led alliance. The war has not diminished Russia’s core economic and security interests in the region, but it has had some impact on its military readiness there in the short term, especially in terms of ground capabilities, if not at sea or in the air. In addition, there are some preliminary indications that sanctions and export controls may diminish Russia’s ability to deploy precision munitions to the Arctic to a degree. At the same time, Russia’s use of hybrid tactics in the region seems to be increasing in both frequency and severity. The United States and NATO will need to take stock of these developments in a region they have not historically prioritized as they begin to implement their new, respective strategies.

RUSI – Russian moves to operationalise the Zircon hypersonic missile represent an important development, but the significance – especially in terms of the current conflict – should not be overstated.