Naval News – Russia continues to bulk up its defenses of the vital Crimean bridge in Kerch. The bridge has been attacked twice already, and is undoubtedly high on Ukraine’s target list. With such importance, it appears unlikely that these new defenses will be sufficient.

USNI News – A nuclear Russian submarine carrying guided missiles with a range of 1,000 nautical miles is operating off the East Coast as part of Russian missile drills in the Atlantic.
Kazan, a Yasen-M-class guided missile submarine, is part of a naval action group the Russian Ministry of Defense deployed to the Atlantic. The group is bound for the Caribbean as part of military drills ordered by the Kremlin against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, according to the MoD.

Naval News – The Russian Navy Kilo Class submarine which was hit by Storm Shadow / SCALP cruise missiles has been moved. The Rostov on Don is now in a new hiding place further inside the Crimean port of Sevastopol. It is camouflaged but has not gone unnoticed.

Defence Express – This could be a russian way to disguise or protect their submarines from Ukrainian strikes.

(Thanks to Alain)

Bulgarian Military – According to sources from Izvestia, the Nikolay Kamov project of 14400 special naval vessels is scheduled to join the Navy by the end of the year. This vessel is a nod to Soviet-era aircraft designer, Nikolay Kamov, esteemed for his creation of the Ka helicopters. Its primary purpose is to train naval aviation helicopter crews. 

(Thanks to Alain)

Naval News – On April 21, 2024, Ukraine attacked Sevastopol Naval Base with Neptune anti-ship missiles and damaged Russia’s iconic 112-year-old submarine rescue vessel “Kommuna”.

Defense News – Russia’ Ministry of Industry and Trade has announced three tenders for submarine parts in a move that appears to be driven by the country’s difficulties in obtaining foreign technology.

(Thanks to Alain)

Newsweek – In stark contrast to Ukraine’s grinding, painful efforts to restrain Russia’s march westward in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv is plugging away at Moscow’s valuable Black Sea Fleet with stunning success.

Defense News – Russia’s leading manufacturer of submarines said it completed the large-scale modernization of its electroplating workshop, charged with applying a particular coating to metallic products. The effort, which concluded this month, is meant to increase the energy efficiency of production at Sevmash, which is expected to build a fifth-generation nuclear submarine for Russia.

The War Zone – An apparent counter-drone screen on the ballistic missile submarine Tula’s conning tower speaks to growing drone threats Russia is facing.

The War Zone – A painted submarine silhouette with an actual conning tower structure follows a trend first seen at Russian strategic bomber bases.

Barents Observer – The notorious special purpose sub that was badly damaged in a fire in 2019 will start sea trials in June-July this year, a source connected with the Russian shipbuilding industry says to the state news agency.

USNI News – Russia, China and Iran completed the at-sea phase of the Sea Security Belt 2024 exercise on Thursday near the Gulf of Oman and carried out a shore phase along with a debriefing in the Iranian city of Chabahar, with the drills scheduled to end on Friday. 

Covert Shores – Some observers have speculated that the black paint may be intended to confuse drones or missiles using infrared sensors to locate and identify the targeted ship. This detects heat, and infrared absorbing paint is often black. The comparison suggests that this is not the case.

(Thanks to Alain)

RUSI – Should Russia withdraw from UNCLOS, this would spell the start of the end of the current near-global consensus on the governance of the oceans.

Barents Observer – The diesel-engined Kronshtadt is designed for destruction of enemy ships and infrastructure, and is likely to serve in the Northern Fleet.

Wavell Room – This article summarises Russian unit production in the three defence sectors – maritime, aerospace and land – in 2023.  It effectively counts ships, aircraft and tanks.  This is a basic but not invalid way to check the state of Russian defence industry.

Barents Observer – Operations under the sea-ice will be one of the top priorities for our submariners in 2024, Russia’s Northern Fleet underlines.

Naval News – In keeping with tradition, dating back to Soviet times, new ships and submarines were commissioned in the Russian Navy with the end of the year.

Covert Shores – Imagine a future where submarines prowl on the surface, launching aerial drones (UAVs) and engaging targets with gunfire and anti-tank missiles. It seems the antithesis of modern submarine operations. Yet Russia’s famous design bureau Rubin has been suggesting exactly that. The twist: it’s for border guard duties not regular combat. In Russia the border guard is part of the FSB.

(Thanks to Alain)

Naval News – If you can measure a new weapon’s impact by the lengths the enemy has to go to feel safe against it, then Ukraine’s maritime drones are hugely successful. The Russian Navy is deploying a multi-layered approach to defeating them.

Naval News – On 11 December in Severodvinsk, Russian Navy commander Adm. Nikolay Yevmenov announced that the series of Project 22350 frigates (Admiral Gorshkov class) armed with Tsirkon hypersonic missiles will comprise 10 vessels.

BBC – In early November, 50 Georgian opposition MPs addressed Nato and EU member states calling for a unified stance against Russia’s plan to establish a permanent naval base in the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia.

Bulgarian Military – The Russian Federation has apparently replaced the Askold missile corvette damaged during the Ukrainian attack with a new one from the Karakurt class. Open sources, citing new satellite images from early December, claim that it is the Tucha missile corvette.

(Thanks to Alain)

Bulgarian Military – The K-564 Arkhangelsk’s journey to completion has been a long one. Its foundation stone was laid on March 19, 2015, marking the beginning of an eight-year construction period till the launch in November 2023. A key reason behind this extended timeline was frequent funding delays that beleaguered its development. 

(Thanks to Alain)