The Guardian – Russia may attack civilian ships on the Black Sea and then put the blame on Ukrainian forces, a senior White House official has said, hours after Moscow warned it would consider all ships sailing in the area to Ukrainian ports potential military targets.

Opex360 – Attached to the Russian Baltic Fleet, and not to the Main Directorate of Deep Water Research [GUCI], the oceanographic research vessel “Admiral Vladimirsky” recently made headlines for sailing for several days in Moray Firth, about 30 nautical ships on the Scottish coast, and more precisely at Lossiemouth, which is home to a large air base. This was not the first, the Royal Navy having already dealt with the Russian Navy in this sector at least twice in the past. (In French)

(Thanks to Alain)

Naval News – Ukraine and NATO will be closely monitoring Russian naval activity in the Black Sea. Russia has however tried to make this more difficult by devising a unique new camouflage scheme. Modern technology can however help unmask these deceptively camouflaged warships.

BBC – The former Russian submarine captain, who reportedly commanded the Krasnodar submarine, could have been in command of the vessel when it carried out a missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia in July 2022, which killed 23 people, including three children.

Naval News – The Russian Ministry of Defence is cancelling the production of the Project 20386 stealth corvettes. This project is often referred as as Russia’s own Littoral Combat Ship.

Council on Geostrategy – As Vladimir Putin’s disastrous and ill-advised aggression against Ukraine continues to chew away at Russia’s ground forces, with no likelihood of rapid force reconstitution even when the war eventually ends, it is easy to see Russia’s military capabilities as wholly degraded. However, not only does Russia retain its strategic arsenal but, beyond some embarrassing losses in the Black Sea, its navy is almost wholly intact.

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.