Naval News – Electromagnetic Warfare is a powerful weapon in the war in Ukraine. Yet it is elusive; we know it is happening but it is invisible, even mysterious. A new analysis of open source data gives a rare window into this world, unmasking Russia’s hidden hand.

War Zone – Russia could see long and short-terms impacts to its defenses and logistics from a major storm that hit the Black Sea.

Barents Observer – A solemn ceremony was held for the K-564 Yasen-M class multi-purpose submarine at the Sevmash shipyard in the north Russian city of Severodvinsk on November 29.

(Thanks to Alain)

Naval Today – Russian shipbuilder Admiralty Shipyards, a subsidiary of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, has delivered the fifth Project 363.3 submarine, Mozhaisk, to the Russian Navy.

(Thanks to Alain)

Business Insider – Despite operating aircraft-carrying ships for more than a half-century, Russia has struggled to build effective fixed-wing jets for those ships to carry into action.

Seawaves – The diesel-electric submarine of the Black Sea Fleet “Krasnodar” of project 636.3 (code “Varshavyanka”) will go to the Baltic, leaving the permanent operational formation of the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea.

(Thanks to Alain)

RUSI – Russian plans to establish a naval base in Abkhazia would render the region a legitimate target for Ukrainian military strikes, creating major risks for Tbilisi.

Barents Observer – The container ship that is suspected of having damaged a gas pipeline and two communication cables in the Baltic Sea on the 25th of October left the north Russian port of Arkhangelsk with course towards Arctic waters. The Newnew Polar Bear will this week sail through the Kara Sea and make it through the icy strait of Vilkitsky. Escorted by a Russian state-owned icebreaker it will subsequently sail eastwards along the North Siberian coast towards the Bering Strait and into Pacific waters.

War on the Rocks – The U.S. Navy and its NATO allies may be gearing up to challenge Russia’s excessive legal claims to the Northern Sea route by conducting a freedom of navigation operation. Multinational naval exercises have been taking place in the Barents Sea, and at some point they might include a freedom of navigation operation. The stakes are high, given the tensions following Russia’s reinvasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Russian government’s warnings about naval operations in the area have become more bellicose and the political leadership appears more willing to take risks. As a result, the fallout from any freedom of navigation operation could rapidly escalate. 

RUSI – In Russia’s recently updated Foreign Policy Concept, the concept of the ‘World Ocean’ takes centre-stage as a tool for achieving Moscow’s objectives.

Naval News – Russia has had to reinforce the defenses at its naval bases in Crimea. One of its first moves at the start of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine was to station trained dolphins at the entrance of Sevastopol harbor. Similar dolphin pens have now turned up at a Russian Naval base in northwestern Crimea.

Barents Observer – The Sevmorput and Newnew Polar Bear sailed over the Balticconnector and the telecom cable in pair at the time the damage occurred. Now, they are following each other outside northern Norway, en route to Asia via the northern coast of Siberia.

Covert Shores – The Russian Navy deployments in the Mediterranean can be seen as part of the outer guard for the invasion of Ukraine. They deter NATO involvement, particularly from aircraft carriers in the sea. How good they are at this deterrence is a separate question, but their threat is real. At any rate, Russia has increased its warship and submarine operations there. Now the last submarine based there appears to be leaving. 

(Thanks to Alain)

Express – The Russian ship may have been struck by one of Russia’s own undersea mines placed around the mouth of Sevastopol harbour.

(Thanks to Alain)

Barents Observer – The transfer from the Northern Fleet to the Pacific Fleet was completed on the the 16th of October as the 170 meter long submarine arrived in the far eastern naval base.

Barents Observer – Slashed investments and a spike in construction costs will lead to a significant delay for Russia’s expanded fleet of nuclear powered icebreakers.

US Naval War College Review – Minimizing the costs and risks of balancing is crucial for a coalition facing stronger opponents—such as China and Russia facing the United States and its partners. The motives of Sino-Russian security cooperation should be understood within the context of a full spectrum of balancing strategies in international relations and the relatively lower risk of escalation in the maritime domain.

The Guardian – Britain has accused Russia of plotting to sabotage civilian cargo ships loaded with Ukrainian grain by planting sea mines on the approaches to the country’s Black Sea ports.

BMPD – Frauds were revealed in the repair of warships in the Novik group, the former general director of the Novik industrial group, a former deputy of the State Duma, a former deputy of the State Duma, became involved in a new criminal case – about fraud on a particularly large scale. (In Russian)

(Thanks to Alain)

Guardian – Researchers in Norway reveal further analysis of 2022 explosions as well as a detailed timeline of events

Forbes – The longer Russia’s wider war on Ukraine grinds on, the more desperate Russian forces get for replacement combat vehicles—and the weirder those vehicles become.

(Thanks to Alain)

RUSI – Russia’s likely use of the SPARTA IV, an alleged civilian vessel, to transport military materiel from Tartus, Syria to its port in Novorossiysk is yet another example of Moscow’s penchant for manipulating international law to satisfy its wartime agenda.

BMPD – On September 14, 2023, a solemn ceremony of raising the flag of the Russian Navy was held in Vladivostok on the corvette “The Sharp” of the modified project 20380 (plant number 2104), built by PJSC “Amur Shipyard” (ASZ, part of JSC “United Shipbuilding Corporation”) in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. This is the fourth corvette of project 20380 built on the ASH for the Pacific Fleet. (In Russian)

(Thanks to Alain)

War Zone – Photos of major damage to a Russian Navy submarine attacked while in dry dock in Crimea point to the boat being a complete write-off.

Navy Recognition – The Project P-750B “Serval” is a cutting-edge small multipurpose submarine being developed by the Malakhit Marine Engineering Bureau in St. Petersburg.