ERR.EE – Russian naval vessels in late April stole a wave measuring buoy created and operated by Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) from its location off the island of Hiiumaa.

(Thanks to Alain)

Defense News – Russia’s detention of a Greek-owned ship that departed from Estonia – days after Estonian forces tried to intercept a Russia-bound tanker – signals Moscow’s willingness to deploy military power more overtly to protect its shadow-fleet, a vital pillar of its war economy, experts say.

CNN – Until last week, a secretive fleet of ships ferrying Russian oil around the world showed no clear links to the Kremlin. That changed when, in a dramatic escalation, Russia used a fighter jet in an apparent effort to protect one of the tankers thought to be in the fleet.

The Barents Observer – Few weeks after it returned to service after a comprehensive reconstruction, warship Severomorsk takes part in an anti-submarine exercise.

The Barents Observer – The Northern Fleet will with the new submarine significantly strengthen its role in Russia’s naval nuclear deterrence. The Knyaz Pozharsky carries up to 16 Bulava missiles, each armed with four to six nuclear warheads.

The War Zone – The Russian Navy is applying lessons learned from Ukraine’s multi-pronged drone campaigns to reinvent parts of its own force.

1945 – While Russia’s surface navy faces significant setbacks, particularly in the Black Sea, its submarine force remains a potent and advanced threat, led by the Yasen-M class nuclear-powered guided missile submarines (SSGNs).

Droxford Maritime – New Alexandrit class mine countermeasures vessels “Afanasiy Ivannikov” and “Polyarny” are scheduled to join the Russian Navy Northern Fleet late 2025.

(Thanks to Alain)

Navy Lookout – RN vessels have again been activated in the last two weeks to monitor increased Russian naval activity close to the UK.

Barents Observer – A strike group of Russian warships, including frigates, submarines and anti-submarine hunters, are currently conducting a series of exercises on the east of the maritime border with Norway.

RUSI – A long-term campaign to constrain Russia must go beyond thoughts of the threat from the North, and consider the influence of the Black Sea on Russia’s strategic and military position.

Droxford Maritime – As NATO enters the Easter break, a large-scale Russian Navy merchant ship protection exercise which began today could be the perfect cover for asymmetric activity.

(Thanks to Alain)

The War Zone – Work on the first Ivan Rogov class amphibious assault ship is ongoing at a shipyard Ukrainian forces have attacked in the past with long-range missiles.

Defense News – Following the withdrawal of Soviet submarines, military officials originally wanted to field 30 Yasen-class submarines and 14 strategic Borei-class boats. Putin’s announcement indicate a shift on objectives, with 10 copies to be built in each class.

Barents Observer – Built at the Admirality shipyard in St. Petersburg, the icebreaking patrol vessel sailed around the Baltics and Scandinavia in late March and arrived to the Northern Fleet’s main base on Monday.

MarineLink – Two tankers hit by U.S. sanctions are due to offload Russian Arctic Oil in Syria for the first time, days after Moscow made its first known delivery of diesel there in more than a decade.

(Thanks to Alain)

MarineLink – Germany seized a decrepit tanker found adrift off its northern coast in January that is believed to be part of a shadow fleet used by Russia to circumvent oil sanctions.

(Thanks to Alain)

Bulgarian Military – On Tuesday, the Russian Navy carried out military exercises in the Baltic Sea, involving about 10 ships, according to a statement from the Baltic Fleet’s press service reported by Interfax, a Russian news agency.

(Thanks to Alain)

International Consortium of Investigative Journalists – The Kremlin is using vessels from its “ghost fleet” — hundreds of aging commercial ships with obscured ownership — to send military equipment to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar.

(Thanks to Alain)

The Barents Observer – Servicemen on board the Admiral Kasatonov successfully applied their war experiences during a recent exercise in the Barents Sea, the Northern Fleet reports.

Army Recognition – According to MilitaryRussia on March 2, 2025, the Baltic Fleet appears to have a new flagship, as the Russian Navy has left the Severomorsk, a Udaloy-class destroyer, in the Baltic Sea following its 14-month technical restoration and combat training, rather than returning it to its home fleet. This decision appears to be related to the status of the Baltic Fleet’s former flagship, the Nastoichivy, which has likely been decommissioned and is awaiting disposal, as suggested by the cessation of its sea deployments.

(Thanks to Alain)

The Ukrainian Weekly – As Russia’s war against Ukraine enters its fourth year, Ukraine’s growing offensive capabilities have forced the Russian military to work harder to protect its assets, including its battered Black Sea Fleet. Media reports indicate that Russia is now reviving “Object 825GTS” (“Объект 825ГТС”), a Soviet-era underground submarine base in Balaklava, Crimea. Built during the Soviet era from 1953 to 1961 to house and repair diesel-electric submarines, the facility was designed to shelter submarines from aerial and nuclear attacks.

(Thanks to Alain)

The Barents Observer – The combat power of the Russian Navy is under pressure and forces the Northern Fleet to choose between solving missions and performing necessary maintenance, the Norwegian Intelligence Service says.

RUSI – Russia’s Mediterranean foothold faces uncertainty, with Tartus’s future hanging in the balance and alternative bases in Libya and Algeria offering limited, politically fraught substitutes.

Naval News – During the forenoon of January 15th, the Russian oceanographic research vessel Yantar arrived in a position 40 nautical miles north of Oran, Algeria, and 216 nautical miles east of Gibraltar.