CIMSEC – Russia and North Korea are both fielding a novel type of naval weapon – nuclear-armed torpedo drones. These new weapons introduce a variety of strategic and operational challenges that further complicate a worsening threat environment. They also pose critical legal questions about whether their intended concepts of operation are lawful. These weapons have a fearsome potential to weaponize the maritime environment, and precise questions of their legality should be resolved in order to dissuade their proliferation. 

War Zone – New satellite imagery confirms a Ukrainian claim that Russia is sinking vessels along the Kerch Bridge to form a protective barrier against future uncrewed surface vessel (USV) attacks.

BMPD – The large diesel-electric submarine B-608 “Mozhaisk” (plant number 01618) of project 06363, built for the Russian Navy in St. Petersburg at JSC “Admiralty Shipyards” (part of JSC “United Shipbuilding Corporation” – USC), entered the factory sea trials in the Baltic Sea for the first time. This is the fifth of six Project 06363 submarines under construction for the Pacific Fleet. (In Russian)

(Thanks to Alain)

The Guardian – A civilian cargo vessel has left Ukraine’s southern port of Odesa, Kyiv has said, despite warnings from Russia that its navy could target ships using the Black Sea export hubs.

Reuters – Merchant ships remained backed up in lanes around the Black Sea on Monday as ports struggled to clear backlogs amid growing unease among insurers and shipping companies a day after a Russian warship fired warning shots at a cargo vessel.

War Zone – The Palau-flagged bulk carrier continued on its voyage after a Russian “inspection” but soon fled toward the coastline and Turkish waters.

The Guardian – A Russian warship fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the south-western Black Sea on Sunday as it made its way northwards, the first time Russia has fired on merchant shipping beyond Ukraine since exiting a landmark UN-brokered grain deal last month.

War Zone – The port of Izmail, on the Danube River right across from Romania, is the latest grain infrastructure to be attacked by Russian drones.

i24 News – A Sierra Leonean-flagged cargo ship from the Israeli port city of Ashdod on Monday became the first to break through Moscow’s blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports since Russia withdrew from the deal cereal. The ship, Ams1, openly declared its destination and crossed the Black Sea on a direct route. (In French)

(Thanks to Alain)

Covert Shores – The Russian Navy appears to have heightened concerns that its annual Navy Day parade in Saint Petersburg may be attacked by drones. The parade takes place on July 30 and traditionally included a large selection of warships and submarines, including visiting nuclear subs. However this year it is already scaled back. Photographs shared on Russian social media appear to show a GPS jammer aboard a Russian warship in the city.

(Thanks to Alain)

USNI News – The British Ministry of Defense warned Wednesday that Russia could be planning a naval blockade of Ukraine. The blockade would prevent ships from pulling into Ukraine and the Kremlin’s latest move in the Black Sea since Moscow withdrew from a U.N. brokered grain deal. Russia’s Black Sea Fleet altered its posture, likely to enforce a blockade of Ukraine, according to the British Ministry of Defense’s latest intelligence update.

War Zone – One of Russia’s newest warships is said to have come under attack by unmanned naval drones as it enforced the blockade against Ukraine.

The Guardian – The Barents Sea port of Severomorsk is the base of the Russian navy’s Northern Fleet and, since 2014 – when Russia first invaded eastern Ukraine – it has become the main administrative hub for all of Russia’s Arctic military activities.

As the war in Ukraine grinds on, Russia is not so quietly expanding its military activities in this region, too. In the past six years, Russia has built 475 military sites along its northern border. The Kola peninsula and the archipelagos of the Barents Sea have seen dozens of new airstrips, bunkers and bases.

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.