The Russian Navy is the
naval arm of the
Russian Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. They are organized into three service branches—the Russian Ground Forces, Ground Forces, Russian Navy, Navy, and Russi ...
. It has existed in various forms since 1696. Its present iteration was formed in January 1992 when it succeeded the Navy of the
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional organization, regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an ar ...
(which had itself succeeded the
Soviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval warfare Military, uniform service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy made up a large part of the Soviet Union's strategic planning in the event of a conflict with t ...
following the
dissolution of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...
in late December 1991).
The
Imperial Russian Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy () operated as the navy of the Russian Tsardom and later the Russian Empire from 1696 to 1917. Formally established in 1696, it lasted until being dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution and the declaration of ...
was established by
Peter the Great
Peter I (, ;
– ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...
(Peter I) in October 1696. The symbols of the Russian Navy, the
St. Andrew
Andrew the Apostle ( ; ; ; ) was an apostle of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was a fisherman and one of the Apostles in the New Testament, Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus.
The title First-Called () used by the Eastern Orthodox Chu ...
's ensign (seen to the right), and most of its traditions were established personally by Peter I.
The Russian navy possesses the vast majority of the former Soviet naval forces, and currently comprises the
Northern Fleet, the
Pacific Fleet, the
Black Sea Fleet
The Black Sea Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Mediterranean Sea. The Black Sea Fleet, along with other Russian ground and air forces on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula, are subordin ...
, the
Baltic Fleet
The Baltic Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea.
Established 18 May 1703, under Tsar Peter the Great as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Baltic Fleet is the oldest Russian fleet. In 1918, the fleet w ...
, the
Caspian Flotilla
The Caspian Flotilla () is the flotilla of the Russian Navy in the Caspian Sea.
Established in November 1722 by the order of Tsar Peter the Great as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Caspian Flotilla is the oldest flotilla in the Russian ...
, the
permanent task force in the Mediterranean,
Naval Aviation
Naval aviation / Aeronaval is the application of Military aviation, military air power by Navy, navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases.
It often involves ''navalised aircraft'', specifically designed for naval use.
Seab ...
, and the Coastal Troops (consisting of the
Naval Infantry and the Coastal Missile and Artillery Troops).
The Russian navy suffered severely with the
collapse of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...
due to insufficient maintenance, lack of funding, and subsequent effects on the training of personnel and timely replacement of equipment. Another setback was attributed to Russia's domestic shipbuilding industry, which was in decline due to the absence of modern hardware and technology.
In 2013, a rise in gas and oil prices enabled a sort of renaissance of the Russian Navy due to increased available funds, which may have allowed Russia to begin "developing the capacity to modernize". In August 2014, Defence Minister
Sergei Shoigu said that Russian naval capabilities would be bolstered with new weapons and equipment within the next six years in response to the
enlargement of NATO and the beginning of the
Russo-Ukrainian War
The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...
.
["Russia vows naval expansion to counter NATO; move in response to Ukraine tensions"](_blank)
, ''Washington Times
''The Washington Times'' is an American conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It covers general interest topics with an emphasis on national politics. Its broadsheet daily edition is distributed throughout Washington, D. ...
'' (20 August 2014)
the non-operational aircraft carrier
Admiral Kuznetsov is the Russian Navy's only carrier leaving the Russian Navy without an operational aircraft carrier. Further, reports that the ''Admiral Kuznetsovs crew of ca. 1500 has been reassigned to the
Russian Army
The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces.
The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...
for
combat duty in Ukraine indicates that there is no plan to make the Russian Navy a carrier navy again.
History

The 1991
dissolution of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...
led to a severe decline in the Russian Navy.
Defence expenditures were severely reduced. Many ships were scrapped or laid up as accommodation ships at naval bases, and the building program was essentially stopped.
Sergey Gorshkov
Sergey Georgyevich Gorshkov (; 26 February 1910 – 13 May 1988) was an admiral of the fleet of the Soviet Union. Twice awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, he oversaw the expansion of the Soviet Navy into a global force during the Cold ...
's buildup during the Soviet period had emphasised ships over support facilities, but Gorshkov had also retained ships in service beyond their effective lifetimes, so a reduction had been inevitable in any event. The situation was exacerbated by the impractical range of vessel types which the Soviet
military-industrial complex, with the support of the leadership, had forced on the navy—taking modifications into account, the Soviet Navy in the mid-1980s had nearly 250 different classes of ship.
The
''Kiev-''class aircraft carrying cruisers and many other ships were prematurely retired, and the incomplete second
''Admiral Kuznetsov''-class aircraft carrier ''
Varyag'' was eventually sold to the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
by Ukraine. Funds were only allocated for the completion of ships ordered prior to the collapse of the USSR, as well as for refits and repairs on fleet ships taken out of service since. However, the construction times for these ships tended to stretch out extensively: in 2003 it was reported that the
''Akula''-class submarine ''Nerpa'' had been under construction for fifteen years.
Storage of decommissioned nuclear submarines in ports near
Murmansk
Murmansk () is a port city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast in the far Far North (Russia), northwest part of Russia. It is the world's largest city north of the Arctic Circle and sits on both slopes and banks of a modest fjord, Ko ...
became a significant issue, with the
Bellona Foundation reporting details of lowered readiness. Naval support bases outside Russia, such as
Cam Ranh Bay
Cam Ranh Bay () is a deep-water bay in Vietnam in Khánh Hòa Province. It is located at an inlet of the South China Sea situated on the southeastern coast of Vietnam, between Phan Rang and Nha Trang, approximately 290 kilometers (180 miles) nor ...
in Vietnam, were gradually closed, with the exception of the modest technical support base in
Tartus
Tartus ( / ALA-LC: ''Ṭarṭūs''; known in the County of Tripoli as Tortosa and also transliterated from French language, French Tartous) is a major port city on the Mediterranean coast of Syria. It is the second largest port city in Syria (af ...
,
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
to support ships deployed to the Mediterranean. Naval Aviation declined as well from its height as
Soviet Naval Aviation
Soviet Naval Aviation (AV-MF, ) was the naval aviation arm of the Soviet Navy.
Origins
The first naval aviation units in Russia were formed in 1912–1914 as a part of the Baltic Fleet and the Black Sea Fleet. During World War I, the hydro ...
, dropping from an estimated 60,000 personnel with some 1,100 combat aircraft in 1992 to 35,000 personnel with around 270 combat aircraft in 2006. In 2002, out of 584 naval aviation crews only 156 were combat ready, and 77 ready for night flying. Average annual flying time was 21.7 hours, compared to 24 hours in 1999.
Training and readiness also suffered severely. In 1995, only two missile submarines at a time were being maintained on station, from the Northern and Pacific Fleets. The decline culminated in the loss of the Oscar II-class submarine
''Kursk'' during the Northern Fleet summer exercise that was intended to back up the publication of a new naval doctrine.
As of February 2008, the Russian Navy had 44 nuclear submarines with 24 operational; 19 diesel-electric submarines, 16 operational; and 56 first and second rank surface combatants, 37 operational.
[Kommersant VLAST No.7(760) 25 February 2008] Despite this improvement, the November
2008 accident on board the attack boat ''Nerpa'' during sea trials before lease to India represented a concern for the future.
The strength and quality of the Russian Navy started to improve during the 2010s. From 2010-2014 Russian officials negotiated the purchase of four s. On 3 September 2014, French President announced that due to Russia's "
recent actions in Ukraine", the two ships would not be delivered.
In November 2014, François Hollande placed a hold on the delivery of the first ''Mistral'' to Russia in view of the conflict in east Ukraine. Hollande set two conditions for delivery: the observation of a ceasefire in Ukraine and a political agreement between Moscow and Kiev. On 5 August 2015 it was announced that France was to pay back Russia's partial payments and keep the two ships initially produced for Russia. The ships eventually were sold to Egypt.
In 2012, as part of an ambitious rebuilding effort,
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
announced a plan to build 51 modern ships and 24 submarines by 2020. Of the 24 submarines, 16 were to be nuclear-powered. On 10 January 2013, the Russian Navy finally accepted its first new Borei-class SSBN () for service. A second Borei (''
Aleksandr Nevskiy'') was undergoing sea trials and entered service on 21 December 2013.
A third ''Borei''-class boat () was launched and began trials in early 2013, and was commissioned in late 2014. As of early 2022, five Borei-class boats are in service, along with three nuclear attack submarines. More vessels of these classes are building along with additional and
Improved-Kilo-class conventional attack submarines. The surface fleet is also being modernized, principally by introducing at least
six new classes of corvette/offshore patrol vessels, a new class of frigate (
the ''Admiral Gorshkov'' class), as well as new classes of amphibious ships and support vessels. In 2019, total tonnage of the Russian Navy stood at 1,216,547 tonnes.
Invasion of Ukraine and losses

In 2022, the Russian Navy took part in the
Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
, starting with the
attack on Snake Island at the beginning of the war, at which the Ukrainian defenders told the , flagship of the Black Sea; "
Russian warship, go fuck yourself",
before subsequently being captured by Russian forces. ''Moskva'' sank on 14 April 2022 after a fire broke out and forced the crew to evacuate. The Ukrainian military reported that they hit the ship with
Neptune anti-ship missiles, however the Russian military did not confirm this. The ship subsequently capsized and sank while the Russian Navy was attempting to tow her into port. The
sinking of ''Moskva'' is the most significant Russian naval loss in action since World War II. In December 2023, the
Russian landing ship Novocherkassk was also destroyed after being hit by Ukrainian cruise missiles.
On 31 January 2024, Ukrainian
sea drones struck the Russian
Tarantul-class corvette
The Tarantul-class corvette, Soviet designation Project 1241 ''Molniya'' () are a class of Russian missile corvettes (large missile cutters in Soviet classification).
They have the NATO reporting name Tarantul (not to be confused with the , ...
Ivanovets in the Black Sea, causing the ship to sink.
Two weeks later on 14 February, the same type of Ukrainian sea drones struck and sank the
Russian Landing ship Tsezar Kunikov.
On 5 March, the patrol boat Sergei Kotov was also lost to sea drones.
Structure

Since 2012 the headquarters of the Russian Navy (Russian Navy Main Staff) is once again located in The Admiralty in
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
. Russian naval manpower is a mixture of conscripts serving one-year terms and volunteers (Officers and Ratings). In 2006 the
IISS assessed there were 142,000 personnel in the Russian Navy. This personnel number includes the Naval Infantry (Marines) and the Coastal Missile and Artillery Troops. As of 2008 the conscription term was reduced to one year and a major downsizing and reorganization were underway. In 2008, plans were announced to move the headquarters to the
Admiralty building in St. Petersburg, the historic location of the headquarters of the Imperial Russian Navy. The Navy Staff finally relocated there in November 2012.
The Russian Navy is organised into four combat services - the Surface Forces, the Submarine Forces, the Naval Aviation and the Coastal Troops. Additionally the navy also includes support units afloat and ashore. It does not include special forces. The
Naval Spetsnaz brigades are part of the
Main Intelligence Directorate attached to the respective fleets and the Counter-Diversionary Forces and Assets (''ПДСС'') (which are units, protecting the Navy from incursions of enemy special forces) fall within the Coastal Forces.
During the Cold War the Soviet Armed Forces made the distinction between the various naval commands. The main fleets were the
Northern and the
Pacific Fleet. They were tasked with independent operations on the high seas and for that reason included strategic surface, submarine and air forces, including the country's naval nuclear deterrent. Due to the limited geography of the Baltic and the Black Seas the respective
Baltic
Baltic may refer to:
Peoples and languages
*Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian
*Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...
and
Black Sea Fleet
The Black Sea Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Mediterranean Sea. The Black Sea Fleet, along with other Russian ground and air forces on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula, are subordin ...
s were given a more circumscribed role in support of adjacent ground formation (the Main Command of the Troops of the Western Direction in
Legnica
Legnica (; , ; ; ) is a city in southwestern Poland, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the Kaczawa River and the Czarna Woda. As well as being the seat of the county, since 1992 the city has been the seat of the Diocese of Legnica. Le ...
(
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
) and the Main Command of the Troops of the South-Western Direction in
Chișinău
Chișinău ( , , ; formerly known as Kishinev) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Moldova, largest city of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial centre, and is located in the middle of the coun ...
).
These two fleets were armed with shorter-range weapon systems than the main fleets (diesel-electric submarines,
Sukhoi Su-24
The Sukhoi Su-24 (NATO reporting name: Fencer) is a supersonic, night fighter, all-weather tactical bomber developed in the Soviet Union. The aircraft has a variable-sweep wing, Twinjet, twin engines and a side-by-side seating arrangement for it ...
fighter-bombers and a larger quantity of
frigate
A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied.
The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
s and
corvette
A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...
s). Due to the closed nature of the
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, described as the List of lakes by area, world's largest lake and usually referred to as a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia: east of the Caucasus, ...
(still connected to the Baltic and Black Seas through the
Volga River
The Volga (, ) is the longest river in Europe and the longest endorheic basin river in the world. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchment ...
and the system of rivers and canals and navigable for ships of corvette size) its
Caspian Flotilla
The Caspian Flotilla () is the flotilla of the Russian Navy in the Caspian Sea.
Established in November 1722 by the order of Tsar Peter the Great as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Caspian Flotilla is the oldest flotilla in the Russian ...
had an even more limited role than the Fleets and played a defensive role supporting the Main Command of the Troops of the Southern Direction in
Baku
Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...
.
With the end of the
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
a significant reduction in forces followed. Before the
2008 Russian military reform, the four fleets were ranked as equal in status to the six Military Districts. With the reform measures going into force the number of Military Districts was reduced and became new Joint Strategic Commands and the four fleets and one flotilla were subordinated to them with status equal to the Ground Forces and the Air Forces armies. Due to Russia's increased interests in the Arctic region and the importance of Russia's western/northwestern maritime defence the Northern Fleet, originally part of the Joint Strategic Command West (Western Military District), on 12 December 2014 became the basis for the newly formed fifth
Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command
The Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command (), was a Military districts of Russia, military district of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction primarily within the northern region of European Russia and the Arctic Ocean.
The Northern F ...
.
Submarine and surface forces
The submarine and surface forces form the backbone of the Navy. The submarines form part of dedicated submarine squadrons and flotillas or part of squadrons and flotillas of mixed composition together with major surface combatants. The Russian Navy retains a rigid structure, whose levels of command could, according to military regulations, be directly equalled to the corresponding ground and air forces counterparts:
Coastal troops

Coastal Troops include the Naval Infantry and the Coastal Missile and Artillery Troops.
The Russian Naval Infantry are the
amphibious force of the Russian Navy and can trace their origins back to 1705, when
Peter the Great
Peter I (, ;
– ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...
issued a decree for an infantry
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation.
In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...
"of naval equipage". Since its formation it has seen action in the
Napoleonic Wars
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Napoleonic Wars
, partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
, image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg
, caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
, the
Crimean War
The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...
, the
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...
, the First and Second World Wars, and the Chechen and Georgian conflicts. Under the leadership of
Admiral Gorshkov during the Cold War, the Soviet Navy expanded the reach of the Naval Infantry and deployed it worldwide on numerous occasions, but since the
dissolution of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...
its role has been greatly reduced.
The Soviet Naval Infantry and their Russian successors have a reputation as elite shock troops. For their black uniforms and ferocious performance in combat in the Black Sea and Baltic Sea regions during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
they received the nickname "The Black Death" (
German: ''der schwarze Tod''). The Russian Naval Infantry is a mechanised force, organised in brigades, independent regiments and independent battalions. The 55th Naval Infantry Division of the Pacific Fleet has been disbanded in 2009 and replaced by two separate brigades. Each brigade has a tank battalion, a self-propelled artillery battalion, a self-propelled air defence battalion, mechanised marine infantry battalions, other support units and one Airborne Assault Naval Infantry Battalion (''десантно-штурмовой батальон морской пехоты''), parachute and
air assault
Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, such as helicopters, to seize and hold key terrain that has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind enemy l ...
qualified, with the mission to spearhead amphibious landings.
The coastal defence troops of the Russian Navy are conventional mechanised brigades with the main task to prevent enemy amphibious landings. An example of coastal defence troops are those of the Baltic Fleet. With Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania declaring independence at the end of the Soviet Union the
Baltic Military District practically disintegrated. The massive ground forces formations left landlocked in the
Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast () is the westernmost federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of the Russian Federation. It is a Enclave and exclave, semi-exclave on the Baltic Sea within the Baltic region of Prussia (region), Prussia, surrounded by Pola ...
were transferred from the ground forces to naval command and control. The integration of naval infantry and coastal defence troops is a relatively new tendency from the 2010s in order to simplify the naval command structure and the new Arctic infantry brigades in formation under the
Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command
The Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command (), was a Military districts of Russia, military district of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction primarily within the northern region of European Russia and the Arctic Ocean.
The Northern F ...
fall within that process.
The coastal artillery troops also play a very important role for the Navy. The geography of the
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea ( , also ; , ; ) is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia and divided between Norwegian and Russian territorial waters.World Wildlife Fund, 2008. It was known earlier among Russi ...
, the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...
, the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...
and the
Sea of Okhotsk
The Sea of Okhotsk; Historically also known as , or as ; ) is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean. It is located between Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands on the southeast, Japan's island of Hokkaido on the sou ...
as well as the
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, described as the List of lakes by area, world's largest lake and usually referred to as a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia: east of the Caucasus, ...
makes the deployment of shore-based, anti-ship systems in an area-denying role very effective. They deploy
K-300P Bastion-P supersonic
ASCM,
3M-54 Kalibr cruise subsonic ASCM and
A-222E Bereg-E 130mm coastal mobile artillery system as well as self-propelled
surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...
systems.
The Naval Infantry and Coastal Troops are led by the Deputy Commander for Naval Infantry/Commandant of the Naval Infantry of the Russian Navy,
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...
(NI) Aleksandr Kolpatsenko. Their motto is: "Where We Are, There is Victory!"
Naval aviation
The first naval aviation units in Russia were formed from 1912 through 1914 as a part of the
Baltic Fleet
The Baltic Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea.
Established 18 May 1703, under Tsar Peter the Great as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Baltic Fleet is the oldest Russian fleet. In 1918, the fleet w ...
and the
Black Sea Fleet
The Black Sea Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Mediterranean Sea. The Black Sea Fleet, along with other Russian ground and air forces on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula, are subordin ...
. Since its formation, it has participated in the
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...
,
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and in many other conflicts throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia (''statement requires source citation''). During the Cold War the naval aviation pursued a policy of deploying large numbers of bombers in maritime strike roles to counter the
U.S. Navy's extensive fleet of aircraft carriers, by 1989 it operated over 1,000 fixed-wing aircraft with the majority being bombers such as the
Tu-22M "Backfire" and the
Tu-16 "Badger".
Since the fall of the Soviet Union however, it has been significantly reduced in size. The Tu-22Ms have been transferred to the Aerospace Forces and since then the combat arm of the Naval Aviation is built around
Sukhoi Su-33
The Sukhoi Su-33 (-33; NATO reporting name: Flanker-D) is a Soviet/Russian all-weather carrier-based twin-engine air superiority fighter designed by Sukhoi and manufactured by Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association, derived f ...
s,
Mikoyan MiG-29Ks, with
Sukhoi Su-30s and
Sukhoi Su-34s replacing the obsolete
Sukhoi Su-24
The Sukhoi Su-24 (NATO reporting name: Fencer) is a supersonic, night fighter, all-weather tactical bomber developed in the Soviet Union. The aircraft has a variable-sweep wing, Twinjet, twin engines and a side-by-side seating arrangement for it ...
s.
As of 2007, the Russian Naval Aviation consists of the following components:
[Air Forces Monthly, p. 65]
* Naval missile-carrying aviation
* Shore-based
ASW aviation
*
Attack (''Shturmovik'') aviation
* Shore-based
fighter aviation
*
Reconnaissance
In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...
aviation
* Shipborne aviation (fighters and ASW aircraft)
* Auxiliary air units
Ranks, rates and insignia
Officers
The following table of navy ranks illustrates those of the Russian Federation. The rank in
Russian is given first, followed by the
English transliteration.
[Addenda to the Decree of the President of Russian Federation #531](_blank)
, '' Krasnaya Zvezda'', 19 May 2005
Warrant officers and ratings
Warrant officers and rates of the Russian Navy
Equipment
Ships and submarines
''See
List of active Russian Navy ships
This list of active Russian Navy ships presents a picture which can never be fully agreed upon in the absence of greater data availability and a consistent standard for which ships are considered operational or not. The Soviet Navy, and the Rus ...
''
Aircraft
Radars
The Russian Navy uses Podsolnukh over-the-horizon surface wave radar for detection of ships. As of 2019, four radars have been delivered to the coasts of Caspian Sea, Okhotsk Sea, Sea of Japan and Baltic Sea.
Military districts and fleets
The Russian Navy consists of four fleets and one flotilla with all of them subordinated to the newly formed Military Districts-Joint Operational Strategic Commands.
Northern Military District – Northern Joint Strategic Command
Northern Fleet

The Russian Northern Fleet, dating to 1733 but established as a modern formation in 1933, is headquartered at
Severomorsk
Severomorsk (), known as Vayenga () until 18 April 1951, is a closed city, closed types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. Severomorsk is the main administrative base of the Russian Northern Fleet. The town is sit ...
and spread around various bases in the greater
Murmansk
Murmansk () is a port city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast in the far Far North (Russia), northwest part of Russia. It is the world's largest city north of the Arctic Circle and sits on both slopes and banks of a modest fjord, Ko ...
area. It is the main fleet of the Russian Navy and currently comprises
*
''Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov'' aircraft carrier (1 in refit)
*
''Kirov''-class battlecruiser (2, including one in long-term refit/upgrade)
*
''Slava''-class cruiser (1)
*
''Udaloy II''-class destroyer (1)
*
''Udaloy''-class destroyer (3)
*
''Sovremennyy''-class destroyer (1)
*
''Admiral Gorshkov''-class frigate (2, plus one on sea trials in the Baltic)
*
Grisha-class corvette (6)
*
Nanuchka-class corvette (1)
*
''Dolgorukiy-''class submarine (2)
*
Delta IV-class submarine (5)
*
Oscar-class submarine
The Oscar class, Soviet designations Project 949 ''Granit'' and Project 949A ''Antey'' (List of NATO reporting names for submarines, NATO reporting names Oscar I and Oscar II respectively), are a series of Nuclear submarine, nuclear-powered cruis ...
(2)
*
Yasen-class submarine
The Yasen class, Russian designations Project 885 Yasen and Project 885M Yasen-M (, List of Soviet and Russian submarine classes, NATO reporting name: Severodvinsk), also referred to as the ''Graney'' class, are a Ship class, series of Nuclear m ...
(2)
*
''Akula-''class submarine (6)
*
Sierra-class submarine
The Sierra class, Soviet designations Project 945 ''Barrakuda'' and Project 945A ''Kondor'', (List of NATO reporting names for submarines, NATO reporting names Sierra I and Sierra II respectively), are a series of Nuclear submarine, nuclear-powe ...
(2, plus 2 inactive/reserve)
*
Victor III-class submarine (2)
*
Lada-class submarine (1 on sea trials in the Baltic as of April 2023)
*
Kilo-class submarine (4)
*
Delta IV-class special operations submarine ''BS-64 Podmoskovye'' (1)
*
K-239 ''Belgorod'' special operations submarine (1, in an "experimental role" with the Northern Fleet as of July 2022; projected to transfer to the Pacific Fleet in due course)
*
B-90 ''Sarov'' special operations submarine (1)
*
''Losharik'' (AS-12/or 28/or 31) special operations submarine (1 in refit/repair)
*
Delta III-class special operations submarine ''Orenburg'' (BS-136) (1)
*
Paltus-class special operations mini-submarine (2)
*
Kashalot-class special operations submarine (2)
The Northern Fleet also includes patrol ships, mine countermeasures vessels, light amphibious ships and support and logistic ships.
Western Military District – Western Joint Strategic Command
Baltic Fleet

The Baltic Fleet, established on 18 May 1703, is based in
Baltiysk
Baltiysk ( ); ; Old Prussian: ''Pillawa''; ; ; is a seaport town and the administrative center of Baltiysky District in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the northern part of the Vistula Spit, on the shore of the Strait of Baltiysk separ ...
and
Kronshtadt, with its headquarters in the city of
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad,. known as Königsberg; ; . until 1946, is the largest city and administrative centre of Kaliningrad Oblast, an Enclave and exclave, exclave of Russia between Lithuania and Poland ( west of the bulk of Russia), located on the Prego ...
,
Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast () is the westernmost federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of the Russian Federation. It is a Enclave and exclave, semi-exclave on the Baltic Sea within the Baltic region of Prussia (region), Prussia, surrounded by Pola ...
. The Fleet consists of the following units:
[State of the Russian Navy , ssk, Russian Arms, Military Technology, Analysis of Russia's Military Forces](_blank)
. Warfare.ru. Retrieved on 9 September 2010.
*
''Sovremenny''-class destroyer (1 in prolonged refit)
*
''Neustrashimy''-class frigate (2)
*
''Steregushchiy-''class multi-role corvette (4)
*
Buyan-M-class corvette (3)
*
Karakurt-class corvette (3)
*
Tarantul-class corvette
The Tarantul-class corvette, Soviet designation Project 1241 ''Molniya'' () are a class of Russian missile corvettes (large missile cutters in Soviet classification).
They have the NATO reporting name Tarantul (not to be confused with the , ...
(6)
*
Nanuchka-class corvette (4)
*
Parchim-class corvette (6)
*
Kilo-class submarine (1 assigned unit as of 2020)
The Baltic Fleet also includes patrol vessels, minehunters, amphibious ships and support vessels.
Southern Military District – Southern Joint Strategic Command
Black Sea Fleet

The Black Sea Fleet, established on 2 May 1783, is based at the Sevastopol, Karantinnaya, and Streletskaya Bays in
Sevastopol
Sevastopol ( ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea and a major port on the Black Sea. Due to its strategic location and the navigability of the city's harbours, Sevastopol has been an important port and naval base th ...
which is also the location of its headquarters, and at
Novorossiysk
Novorossiysk (, ; ) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities designated by the Soviet Union as a Hero City. The population was
History
In antiquity, the shores of the ...
in Krasnodar Kray. The fleet also has various other facilities on the
Crimean Peninsula
Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrai ...
and facilities in Krasnodar Kray. The Black Sea Fleet's flagship, the cruiser
''Moskva'', was
sunk on 14 April 2022 during the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
. The
Tapir-class landing ship ''
Saratov
Saratov ( , ; , ) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River. Saratov had a population of 901,361, making it the List of cities and tow ...
'' was also scuttled on 24 March 2022 after it was damaged in an attack. The Fleet consists of the following units:
*
''Admiral Grigorovich''-class frigate (3)
*
''Burevestnik'' (Krivak)-class frigate (2)
*
''Steregushchiy''-class multi-role corvette (1 deployed in the Baltic as of 2023)
*
Buyan-M-class corvette (4)
*
Karakurt-class corvette (1, plus one on sea trials)
*
''Bykov''-class corvette/offshore patrol ship (4)
*
Tarantul-class corvette
The Tarantul-class corvette, Soviet designation Project 1241 ''Molniya'' () are a class of Russian missile corvettes (large missile cutters in Soviet classification).
They have the NATO reporting name Tarantul (not to be confused with the , ...
(4)
*
Bora-class corvette (2)
*
Grisha-class corvette (6)
*
Kilo-class submarine (1)
*
Improved Kilo-class submarine (6 - one vessel reported heavily damaged by Ukrainian attack while in drydock)
The Black Sea Fleet also includes patrol and coastal protection vessels, amphibious ships, and support vessels.
Operational Command South - Tartus
The Russian Navy maintains a base under the command of the Southern Military District in
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
at
Tartus
Tartus ( / ALA-LC: ''Ṭarṭūs''; known in the County of Tripoli as Tortosa and also transliterated from French language, French Tartous) is a major port city on the Mediterranean coast of Syria. It is the second largest port city in Syria (af ...
. The Mediterranean squadron was disestablished soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but a small naval logistics support facility remained there. In January 2017 Russia and Syria signed an agreement, to be valid for 49 years, to expand the Tartus facility with a view to improving the support at Tartus.
On 4 February 2022, naval detachments from the Northern Fleet and Baltic Fleet arrived at Tartus. Large amphibious assault ships
''Pyotr Morgunov'',
''Georgy Pobedonosets'', ''
Olenegorsky Gornyak'',
''Korolyov'',
''Minsk'' and ''Kaliningrad'' were under the direction of Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral
Nikolay Yevmenov.
In April 2022 there were around 20 Russian naval ships in the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
.
On 11 May it was reported that the flotilla had remained without change since early February. There were 13 ships and 5 support vessels of the four Russian fleets, including 9 attack missile ships. The formation of a "Mediterranean Squadron" of the Russian Navy in February 2022, using the Northern, Baltic, and Pacific Fleets' ships allowed the Russian Black Sea Fleet to return a large number of ships to the Black Sea some time prior to Russia’s attack on Ukraine. On 27 February three days after the commencement of the
Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
Turkey (who acts as guarantor of the
Montreux Convention) decided to ban the passage through the straits of any warships whose homeport is not in the Black Sea.
Caspian Flotilla
The Caspian Flotilla, established on 4 November 1722, is based in
Astrakhan
Astrakhan (, ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the Caspian Depression, from the Caspian Se ...
and
Makhachkala
Makhachkala, previously known as Petrovskoye (1844–1857) and Port-Petrovsk (1857–1921), or by the local Kumyk language, Kumyk name of Anji, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Dagestan, Russia. ...
with its headquarters in Astrakhan. The Fleet consists of:
*
''Tatarstan''/Gepard-class frigate (2)
*
Buyan-class corvette (3)
*
Buyan-M-class corvette (3)
*
Tarantul-class corvette
The Tarantul-class corvette, Soviet designation Project 1241 ''Molniya'' () are a class of Russian missile corvettes (large missile cutters in Soviet classification).
They have the NATO reporting name Tarantul (not to be confused with the , ...
(1)
The Caspian Flotilla also includes 4 small artillery ships, patrol and mine warfare ships as well as landing craft.
Eastern Military District – Eastern Joint Strategic Command
Pacific Fleet
The Pacific Fleet, established on 10 May 1731, is headquartered in Vladivostok and based around
Vladivostok
Vladivostok ( ; , ) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai and the capital of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia. It is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, covering an area o ...
and
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. The Fleet consists of the following units:
*
''Slava''-class cruiser (1)
*
''Sovremennyy-''class destroyer (1 inactive since 2005; still reported in refit as of 2020)
*
''Udaloy-''class destroyer (4)
*
''Steregushchiy''-class multi-role corvette (3, plus 1 in sea trials)
*
''Gremyashchiy''-class multi-role corvette (1)
*
Tarantul-class corvette
The Tarantul-class corvette, Soviet designation Project 1241 ''Molniya'' () are a class of Russian missile corvettes (large missile cutters in Soviet classification).
They have the NATO reporting name Tarantul (not to be confused with the , ...
(10)
*
Grisha-class corvette (8)
*
Nanuchka-class corvette (1-3)
*
''Dolgorukiy-''class submarine (4)
*
Delta III-class submarine (1)
*
Yasen-class submarine
The Yasen class, Russian designations Project 885 Yasen and Project 885M Yasen-M (, List of Soviet and Russian submarine classes, NATO reporting name: Severodvinsk), also referred to as the ''Graney'' class, are a Ship class, series of Nuclear m ...
(1, plus 1 destined for the Pacific on sea trials in Northern Fleet operational area as of June 2022)
*
Oscar-class submarine
The Oscar class, Soviet designations Project 949 ''Granit'' and Project 949A ''Antey'' (List of NATO reporting names for submarines, NATO reporting names Oscar I and Oscar II respectively), are a series of Nuclear submarine, nuclear-powered cruis ...
(5)
*
''Akula-''class submarine (4)
*
Kilo-class submarine (6-7)
*
Improved Kilo-class submarine (4 plus one on sea trials; the fourth boat was deployed in the Baltic as of November 2022; fifth boat on sea trials - also in the Baltic - as of September 2023)
The Pacific Fleet also includes patrol ships, mine warfare ships, amphibious ships, and support vessels. There are also naval aviation and coastal troops and naval infantry components.
Future and modernization
Russia's military budget expanded from 1998 until 2015, but economic problems including a sharp decline in oil prices led to budget cuts in 2016. Higher expenditure led to an increase in numbers of ships under construction, initially focusing on submarines, such as the conventional
''Petersburg'' (''Lada'')-class and nuclear
''Severodvinsk'' (''Yasen'')-class. Some older vessels have been refitted as well. ''
Jane's Fighting Ships
''Janes Fighting Ships'' is an annual reference book of each country's warship, navy and coast guard, along with their weapons and aircraft. Included are ship names, construction data, size, speed, range, complement, engineering, armament, a ...
'' commented in 2004 that the construction programme was too focused on Cold War scenarios, given the submarine emphasis.
According to the Russian Defence Ministry, share of modern armament in the Navy has reached more than 50% in 2014. A report from December 2019 estimated the figure at 68%. However, in September 2020 it was reported that the defence budget was to be cut by 5% as part of a shift to social spending and in response the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The resulting impact of such a cut on Russian Navy modernization plans was not immediately apparent. Likely more significant is the impact of sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation after 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. In 2021, Russian Security Council Secretary
Nikolai Patrushev reportedly acknowledged that the Russian defence industry “is still dependent on foreign technologies.” The impact of
international sanctions
International sanctions are political and economic decisions that are part of diplomatic efforts by countries, multilateral or regional organizations against states or organizations either to protect national security interests, or to protect i ...
on naval procurement projects, given both reduced access to foreign technologies and significant pressure on the defence budget, had yet to be determined.

The
''Steregushchiy''-class corvettes, the lead ship of which was laid down on 21 December 2001, is the first new surface construction since the collapse of the Soviet Union, while the new
Admiral Sergei Gorshkov class frigates marks the first attempt of the Navy to return to the construction of large blue water capable vessels. The Russian Navy had been planning to procure a new class of destroyer, the general-purpose
Project 21956. The Lider-class has been envisaged as a "green water" vessel and was anticipated to be nuclear-powered.
The project was reportedly suspended in 2020, apparently in favour of the less expensive Project 22350 Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates. The Gorshkov-class vessels have themselves experienced technical challenges and in 2020 it was initially suggested that the larger 22350M variant of that class would not be proceeding. However, it was later reported that design work on both the Lider and the 22350M variant of the Gorshkov-class was in fact moving forward.
In keeping with the emphasis on strategic forces, the Navy's submarine fleet is being modernized by the acquisition of several classes of strategic and tactical submarines. Up to 12
Borei/Dolgorukiy-class SSBNs are planned to replace older classes in both the Northern and Pacific fleets. These are being complemented by new
Yasen and
Khabarovsk-class SSGNs, as well as conventional submarines of the
Improved Kilo and
Lada
LadaAccording to various sources, the name Lada is derived from a Russian word for Viking longships (). (, , marketed as LADAFrom 2004 onwards Lada is marketed worldwide, including in Russia, using the all-capitals brand name written in Latin sc ...
classes. However, in terms of the tactical nuclear submarine fleet, it is unclear whether the new Yasen-class, Khabarovsk-class, and potential follow-on models, can be produced in sufficient numbers, and on a timely basis, to replace aging older model nuclear submarines on a one-for-one basis. It has been reported that Russian third-generation nuclear submarines have not been modernized to a level to avoid block obsolescence before 2030.
On 28 April 2010, the
Ukrainian parliament
The Verkhovna Rada ( ; VR), officially the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, is the unicameral parliament of Ukraine. It consists of 450 deputies presided over by a speaker. The Verkhovna Rada meets in the Verkhovna Rada building in Ukraine's capi ...
ratified an agreement to extend Russia's lease of Crimean base facilities to 2042 with an option for five more years, through 2047. Following the invasion and subsequent
annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, this agreement has been officially invalidated by the
Russian State Duma. The Russian Navy has also revealed that the Russia's Black Sea Fleet will receive 30 new ships by 2020 and will become self-sufficient with its own infrastructure in the
Crimean peninsula
Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrai ...
. The fleet will be updated with new warships, submarines, and auxiliary vessels within the next six years. The new ships built for the Black Sea Fleet include three
''Admiral Grigorovich''-class frigates (originally six, but two of the remaining three were sold to India and in 2021 it was reported that a third ship would also be sold abroad) and six Varshavyanka-class (Improved Kilo-class) diesel-electric submarines.
On 27 December 2015, state-owned
United Shipbuilding Corporation
JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC; , ОСК) is an open joint stock company in Russia which unites shipbuilding, repair and maintenance subsidiaries in western and northern Russia, and in the country's Far East, to streamline civilian ship ...
declared that by 2019 the company would have the technical ability to build aircraft and helicopter carriers, which came as some surprise to analysts as previously the company had stated carrier-building would not take place until 2025 at the earliest. Russia's only existing carrier, the Soviet era ''Admiral Kuznetsov'' will remain in service at least until 2030.
In a May 2017, ten year defence review the development of a new aircraft carrier and nuclear powered destroyers was cancelled in favour of concentrating modernisation efforts on the nuclear triad. Development of a sixth generation SSBN was announced even though the fifth generation Borei class are still under construction as was a fleet of sub-frigate sized surface combatants.
On 14 July 2021, shipyard Sevmash announced that for the first time in decades several nuclear submarines of different projects are undergoing sea trials. In the summer 2021, three nuclear submarines were undergoing sea trials simultaneously: ''Borei II'' class ''Knyaz Oleg'', ''Yasen-M'' class ''Novosibirsk'' and modernized ''Antey'' class ''Belgorod''. The last time in Russia or Soviet Union nuclear submarines of three different classes were undergoing sea trials was 1993, when ''Improved Akula'' class ''Tigr'', ''Antey'' class ''Omsk'' and ''Sierra II'' class ''Pskov'' were undergoing sea trials. The increased intensity of sea trials taking place indicates enhanced shipbuilding in Russian Navy.
On 12 January 2023, The Russian Northern Fleet announced in a press release that the
3M22 Zircon hypersonic missile-equipped Admiral Gorshkov Frigate successfully sailed through the English Channel to carry out its assigned duties in the Atlantic Ocean.
Main Naval Parade in St. Petersburg

Since 2017, by the decree of the President of Russia dated 27 July 2017, the tradition of holding the "Main Naval Parade" in St. Petersburg on the Navy Day has been restored. Prior to 2017, in Soviet and Russian Federation times the previously held annual St. Petersburg Navy Day parade was not so specifically named. The parade is composed of ships and sailors representing the several fleets and the Caspian Flotilla with small ships and submarines in the Neva River and the larger ones arrayed off Kronshtadt in the Gulf of St. Petersburg. It is celebrated annually on the last Sunday of July during the
Navy Day
Several nations observe or have observed a Navy Day to recognize their navy.
By country
Argentina
The Argentine Navy day is celebrated on May 17, anniversary of the victory achieved in 1814 against the Spanish fleet in the action of 14 ...
holiday.
Deployments from 2018
Ocean Shield
In the years 2018–2021, the Russian Navy has been organizing central annual naval exercise called Ocean Shield.
Between 1–8 September 2018, Ocean Shield exercise was held for the first time. Unlike 2019 and 2020 exercises, conducted in the Baltic Sea, the first exercise took place in the Mediterranean Sea. 26 ships, 2 submarines and 34 aircraft were included. Among participants were cruiser ''Marshal Ustinov'', destroyers ''Smetlivy'' and ''Severomorsk'', frigates ''Admiral Grigorovich'', ''Admiral Essen'', ''Admiral Makarov'', ''Pytlivy'' and ''Yaroslav Mudry'', corvettes ''Vishny Volochyok'', ''Grad Sviyazhsk'' and ''Veliky Ustyug'' and conventional submarines ''Kolpino'' and ''Velikiy Novgorod''.
The aircraft present included Tu-160 bombers, Tu-142 and Il-38 anti-submarine aircraft and Su-33 and MiG-29K maritime fighters. This was the largest Russian naval exercise in the Mediterranean Sea of the post-Cold War era and the largest Russian post-Cold War naval exercise in the far sea zone. In terms of distant location and number of capital ships participating it's comparable only to June 2021 exercises of the Pacific Fleet off the Hawaii islands.
Organized between 1–9 August 2019, the second Ocean Shield exercise was the exercise with the largest number of participating ships (69 ships, including 49 warships and 20 support ships) in the independent Russia and took place in the Baltic Sea. The 22 known ships of the exercise "Ocean Shield 2019" include cruiser ''Marshal Ustinov'', destroyer ''Severomorsk'' and frigate ''Admiral Gorshkov'' of the Northern Fleet, as well as Baltic Fleet's frigate ''Yaroslav Mudry'', corvettes ''Steregushchy'', ''Soobrazitelny'', ''Stoykiy'', ''Boikiy'', ''Passat'', ''Geyzer'', ''Serpukhov'', ''Mitishchi'', ''Chuvashiya'', ''Morshansk'', ''Liven'', ''Urengoy'', R-257 and LSTs ''Aleksandr Shabalin'', ''Kaliningrad'', ''Minsk'' and ''Korolyov'', as well as nuclear submarine ''Smolensk''. Other possible participants include ships, participating in the July Naval Parade in St. Petersburg, i.e. frigate ''Admiral Kasatonov'', corvettes ''Gremyashchy'' and ''Sovetsk'', submarine ''Kronshtadt'' and minesweepers ''Ivan Antonov'', ''Aleksandr Obukhov'' and ''Pavel Khenov''.
On 3 August 2020, third Ocean Shield exercise started in the Baltic Sea and included Northern Fleet's destroyer ''Vice-Admiral Kulakov'' and LST ''Pyotr Morgunov'' and Baltic Fleet's corvettes ''Steregushchy'', ''Boikiy'' and ''Stoikiy''.
Combined-fleet exercises
June 2021
In 2021, no usual Ocean Shield exercise was conducted in August or September in the Baltic Sea. However, in June, the Pacific, Northern and Black Sea fleets conducted large-scale exercises. In mid June, four Russian cruisers and four destroyers were simultaneously at sea, or all operational large surface combatants except destroyer ''Severomorsk'', which was probably the first time in the post-Cold war era. A complex large-scale exercise took place in the central Pacific Ocean, where the Russian Navy conducted possibly the strongest exercise of the post-Soviet era.
It took place prior to the 2021 Putin-Biden summit, similarly to Aport and Atrina exercises that were held in 1985 and 1987 prior to the Geneva and Washington summits of Gorbachev and Reagan to improve Soviet negotiation position. Officially, however, it was stated that the exercise is an answer to the exercise Agile Dagger 2021 of the US Pacific Fleet, employing one third of the operational submarines of the US Pacific Fleet.
In the Barents Sea, cruisers ''Marshal Ustinov'' and ''Pyotr Veliky'', destroyer ''Vice-admiral Kulakov'' and submarines ''Kaluga'', ''Gepard'' and ''Dmitry Donskoy'' were active.
Between 7 and 24 June, a large-scale exercise was conducted by the Pacific Fleet in the central Pacific Ocean, being the first post-Cold war Russian naval exercise in that area (minor exceptions being destroyer ''Admiral Panteleev'' taking part in RIMPAC-2012 exercise and frigate ''Admiral Gorshkov'' sailing near Hawaii in 2019
). It included cruiser ''Varyag'', destroyers ''Marshal Shaposhnikov'' and ''Admiral Panteleyev'', corvettes ''Sovershenny'', ''Gromky'' and ''Aldar Tsydenzhapov'', (a) nuclear submarine(s) (likely ''Omsk'' and ''Kuzbass'') and intelligence ship ''Kareliya''.
The exercise started in the central Pacific Ocean on 10 June, and on 21 June the ships 2500 nautical miles southeast of the Kuril islands simulated an attack on the enemy carrier strike group. Prior to that, the ships operated in two groups, sailing at 300 nautical miles from each other, one of them playing the role of enemy. The largest auxiliary ship of the Russian Navy ''Marshal Krylov'' also took part in the exercise and acted as a command ship for the commander of the exercise, rear admiral Konstantin Kabantsev, commander of Primorskaya Flotilla, as well as hospital ship ''Irtysh'' and MiG-31 interceptors and Il-38 and Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft.
On 24 June, the final day of the exercise, three Tu-95 bombers, several Tu-22M bombers, escorted by interceptors MiG-31BM and two Il-78 tankers flew to the central Pacific Ocean as well. The Tu-95s delivered conditional strikes against enemy's critical infrastructure and Tu-22M delivered strikes against enemy's conditional carrier strike group together with ''Varyag'' and ''Marshal Shaposhnikov''.
An additional destroyer ''Admiral Tributs'' was deployed to the South China Sea, accompanying nuclear submarine ''Nerpa''.
On 18 June 2021, the Black Sea Fleet deployed cruiser ''Moskva'' to the Mediterranean Sea, which, amid deployment of
''Queen Elizabeth'' to the Eastern Mediterranean, took part in an unprecedented anti-ship exercise with bombers Tu-22M and interceptors MiG-31K both deployed to Syria for the first time in May and June. A MiG-31K reportedly fired a
Kinzhal missile against a ground target in Syria, while a newest air defence system
S-500 was reportedly tested at Khmeymim airbase and obtained a lock on F-35 fighter from ''Queen Elizabeth''. The exercise included rocket fire 30 km away from ''Queen Elizabeth''.
January–February 2022
In January–February 2022 large-scale exercise of all Russian fleets took place with some 140 warships and support ships.
In the Northern Fleet it included two task groups. First, cruiser ''Marshal Ustinov'', destroyer ''Vice-Admiral Kulakov'' and frigate ''Admiral Kasatonov'', as well as tanker ''Vyazma'' and tug SB-406 were deployed to the southwest of Ireland, conducting first Russian post-Cold war naval exercise west of British isles. Second, destroyer ''Severomorsk'', frigate ''Admiral Gorshkov'', LST
''Ivan Gren'', nuclear submarine ''Severodvinsk'', diesel-electric submarine ''Kaluga'', corvettes ''Snezhnogorsk'' and ''Brest'', as well as support ships operated in the Barents Sea. Additionally, three LSTs were deploying to the Black Sea (''Olenogorsky Gornyak'', ''Georgiy Pobedonosets'' and ''Pyotr Morgunov'').
In the Pacific Fleet, cruiser ''Varyag'', destroyer ''Admiral Tributs'' and tanker ''Boris Butoma'' were deployed to the Indian Ocean, participating in the third Russo-Sino-Iranian naval exercise, first Russo-Chinese naval exercise away from Russian/Chinese coast that took place in the western Indian Ocean and will finally strengthen Mediterranean squadron. Additionally, submarine ''Volkhov'' fired a Kalibr missile in the Sea of Japan and two Tu-142 performed flight above the Okhotsk Sea.
In the Baltic Fleet, corvettes ''Soobrazitelny'' and ''Stoykiy'' were deployed to the Northern Sea, while ''Zeleny Dol'', ''Mytishchi'', ''Odintsovo'', ''Aleksin'', ''Kabardino-Balkariya'' were active in the Baltic Sea. Additionally, three LSTs were deploying to the Black Sea: ''Korolyov'', ''Minsk'' and ''Kaliningrad'' and intelligence ship ''Vasily Tatishchev'' to the Mediterranean Sea, where it will monitor three-carrier exercise with CVN ''Harry Truman'', ''Cavour'' and ''Charles de Gaulle'' in February 2022.
In the Black Sea Fleet, an exercise was conducted by frigates ''Admiral Essen'', ''Ladnyy'', corvettes ''Ingushetiya'', ''Grayvoron'', ''Naberezhnye Chelny'', R-60, ''Yeysk'', ''Suzdalets'' and other ships, totally around 20 ships.
Annual exercise
Russia organises a central military exercise for September each year.
During Zapad 2021, in Northern Fleet two surface groups were active: ''Admiral Ushakov'' and ''Admiral Kasatonov'' in the Barents Sea (along with coastal systems Bal and Bastion-P) and ''Severomorsk'' in the Arctic (along with LST ''Georgiy Pobedonosets'', tug ''Pamir'' and tanker ''Sergey Osipov''), as well as submarines ''Orel'' and ''Verkhoturye'' (along with minesweepers ''Yelnya'', ''Soloyevetskiy'', ''Yunga'', ''Yadrin'' and ''Kotelnich'' in two groups). In the Baltic Fleet, frigate ''Yaroslav Mudry'', corvettes ''Steregushchy'' and ''Stoykiy'' and submarine ''Dmitrov'' were active (along with coastal system Bal).
Barents Sea
On 22 February 2021, the Northern Fleet conducted an exercise in which cruiser ''Marshal Ustinov'' sailed in Varanger Fjord in the area of the Russia–Norway maritime border, becoming the first Russian warship to do so in the post-Cold War era. Sailing was speculated to be response to the US bombers (B-1B) landing in Norway on the same day for the first time.
Other ships active in the area in January–February 2021 included destroyer ''Severomorsk'', frigate with the tug ''Altay'', nuclear submarine ''Severodvinsk (''that launched a
Kalibr missile), corvettes ''Aysberg'', ''Snezhnogorsk'', ''Yunga'' and ''Brest,'' and salvage vessel ''Georgiy Titov'' with deep-submergence rescue vehicle ''
AS-34''.
Atlantic
South of Gibraltar, in September–October 2021 Russian Navy deployed destroyer ''Vice-Admiral Kulakov'' (along tanker ''Akademik Pashin'' and tug ''Altai'') that visited Praia, Capo Verde and performed anti-piracy exercise in the Gulf of Guinea. It was the first deployment of a Russian warship south of Gibraltar since ''Admiral Gorshkovs 2019 world circumnavigation.
North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea
In February 2008 a Russian Northern Fleet naval task force completed a two-month deployment in the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
and the North Atlantic which started on 4 December 2007. The operation was the first large-scale Russian Navy deployment to the Atlantic and the Mediterranean in 15 years. The task force included the ''Admiral Kuznetsov''-class aircraft carrier ''Admiral Kuznetsov'', the ''Udaloy''-class destroyers and , and the ''Slava''-class guided missile cruiser ''Moskva'', as well as auxiliary vessels. During the operation the navy practiced rescue and counter-terror operations, reconnaissance, and missile and bomb strikes on the (theoretical) enemy's naval task force. Over 40
Russian Air Force
The Russian Air Force () is a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the latter being formed on 1 August 2015 with the merging of the Russian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the reb ...
aircraft took part in joint exercises with the navy as well.
* In October 2008, a naval task group from the
Northern Fleet, comprising the nuclear-powered missile cruiser ''Pyotr Velikiy'', the large ASW ship ''Admiral Chabanenko'', and support ships, left their homeport of Severomorsk in northern Russia on 22 September and sailed into the northern Atlantic, having covered a distance of in a week. Russian warships were scheduled to participate in joint naval exercises with the Venezuelan Navy in the Caribbean on 10–14 November, in line with the 2008 training program, and in order to expand military cooperation with foreign navies. These exercises actually took place on 1 December.
* 11 October 2008, Russian warships bound for Venezuela, including the nuclear-powered cruiser ''Pyotr Velikiy'', put in at the Libyan port of Tripoli for resupply.
* From Venezuela ''Petr Velikiy'' proceeded alone to a port call in Cape Town, South Africa, then participated in the INDRA-2009 exercise off western India, briefly engaged in counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, and returned to its homeport of Severomorsk in March 2009. The other ships in company returned to their home base in the Northern Fleet.
* A group of
Pacific Fleet ships arrived in the Mediterranean Sea on 15 May 2013 having sailed from
Vladivostok
Vladivostok ( ; , ) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai and the capital of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia. It is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, covering an area o ...
on 19 March 2013. , the ''Ropucha''-class landing ships
''Peresvet'' and
''Admiral Nevelskoy'', the
tanker ''Pechenga'' and the rescue
tug ''Fotiy Krylov'' augmented the Russian Navy's grouping there, and carried out tasks in the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...
and
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
. The Pacific Fleet ships practiced activities jointly with forces from other Russian navy fleets and made a number of business calls at ports in the region, including a call at
Limassol
Limassol, also known as Lemesos, is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the Limassol district. Limassol is the second-largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban population of 195,139 and a district population o ...
, Cyprus on 17 May 2013.
* The
Baltic Fleet
The Baltic Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea.
Established 18 May 1703, under Tsar Peter the Great as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Baltic Fleet is the oldest Russian fleet. In 1918, the fleet w ...
''Ropucha''-class landing ships ''Kaliningrad'', ''Aleksandr Shabalin'' and ''Azov'' arrived at
Novorossiysk
Novorossiysk (, ; ) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities designated by the Soviet Union as a Hero City. The population was
History
In antiquity, the shores of the ...
naval base on 14 May 2013 having completed their duties in the Mediterranean. The Baltic Fleet ships spent several weeks at
Novorossiysk
Novorossiysk (, ; ) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities designated by the Soviet Union as a Hero City. The population was
History
In antiquity, the shores of the ...
undergoing checks and maintenance and replenishing supplies before resuming their duties in the Mediterranean.
* The Northern Fleet's ''Udaloy''-class destroyer was reported to be heading for the Atlantic on 20 May 2013 after completing a visit to Norway. The ship had been taking part in the Russian-Norwegian
Pomor
The Pomors (, ) are an ethnographic group traditionally thought to be descended from Russians, Russian settlers (primarily from Veliky Novgorod) living on the White Sea coasts and nearby regions, with their southern boundary marked by a waters ...
-2013 exercise and is expected to take on supplies from the tanker ''Vyazma'' while at anchor in the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
before undertaking a lengthy voyage in the north eastern regions of the Atlantic Ocean.
* On 1 June 2013, Navy Commander Adm
Viktor Chirkov said that the aircraft carrier ''Admiral Kuznetsov'' is "expected to put out and perform a number of missions in an offshore oceanic zone as part of a group. Northern Fleet naval pilots will perform a number of missions on board this cruiser during the long-range mission." He also stated that the ship's deployment might be as part of a permanent operational group in the Mediterranean. In preparing for the deployment the ships' airwing would not be using the NITKA pilot training facility located in Crimea, Ukraine.
* On 17 February 2017, the Russian Navy surveillance vessel SSV-175 ''Viktor Leonov'' was cruising international waters off the East Coast of the United States. ''Viktor Leonov'' is outfitted with a variety of high-tech spying equipment designed to intercept signals intelligence. It first appeared off Delaware and, then moved south of the US submarine base at Groton, Connecticut collecting electronic signals.
Syria
* Sequentially having lost naval support facility access in Albania, Yugoslavia, and Egypt, in 1971 the Soviet Navy began operating from a leased facility in Tartus, Syria.
* In September 2008, it was reported that Russia and Syria conducted talks about permitting Russia to develop and enlarge its
naval base in Syria in order to establish a stronger naval presence in the Mediterranean, and amidst the deteriorating Russia relations with the west in conjunction with the
2008 South Ossetia war and the plans to deploy
US missile defence shield in Poland, it has even been asserted that
President Assad has agreed to
Tartus
Tartus ( / ALA-LC: ''Ṭarṭūs''; known in the County of Tripoli as Tortosa and also transliterated from French language, French Tartous) is a major port city on the Mediterranean coast of Syria. It is the second largest port city in Syria (af ...
port's conversion into a permanent Middle East base for Russia's nuclear-armed warships.
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
and
Damascus
Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
additionally announced that it would be renovating the port, although there was no mention in the Syrian press.
["Syria and Russia strengthen naval cooperation"](_blank)
Itar-Tass news agency via ''Haaretz
''Haaretz'' (; originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , , ) is an List of newspapers in Israel, Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel. The paper is published in Hebrew lan ...
''. Retrieved 12 September 2008.
* On 22 September 2008, Russian Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo said the nuclear-powered ''Pyotr Velikiy'' cruiser, accompanied by three other ships, sailed from the Northern Fleet's base of
Severomorsk
Severomorsk (), known as Vayenga () until 18 April 1951, is a closed city, closed types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. Severomorsk is the main administrative base of the Russian Northern Fleet. The town is sit ...
. The ships will cover about to conduct joint maneuvers with the Venezuelan navy. Dygalo refused to comment on Monday's report in the daily ''Izvestia ''claiming that the ships were to make a stopover in the Syrian port of Tartus on their way to
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
. Russian officials said the Soviet-era base there was being renovated to serve as a foothold for a permanent Russian navy presence in the Mediterranean.
* In late November 2011,
Pravda
''Pravda'' ( rus, Правда, p=ˈpravdə, a=Ru-правда.ogg, 'Truth') is a Russian broadsheet newspaper, and was the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, when it was one of the most in ...
and
Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency ...
wrote that a naval flotilla led by the aircraft carrier ''Admiral Kuznetsov'' would sail to its naval base in
Tartus
Tartus ( / ALA-LC: ''Ṭarṭūs''; known in the County of Tripoli as Tortosa and also transliterated from French language, French Tartous) is a major port city on the Mediterranean coast of Syria. It is the second largest port city in Syria (af ...
as a show of support for the
al-Assad regime. Such a visit is not possible because the lengths of all of Russia's current modern warships exceed the size of the two 100 meter piers located at the Russian leasehold in Tartus. (see next paragraph)
* On 29 November 2011, Army General
Nikolay Makarov, Chief of the Russian General Staff, said that sending ships of the Russian Navy to the Mediterranean Sea is linked to exercises and not to the situation in Syria. "In the event of necessity, namely to carry out repairs, to take water and food on board and to allow rest for the crews, Russian ships may visit Tartus but in this case this has not been included in the plan of the trip," the Interfax source said. He also noted that the size of ''Admiral Kuznetsov'' does not allow it to moor in Tartus because the port does not have suitable infrastructure, i.e., large enough mooring.
Sudan
* On 23 July 2019, Russia and
Sudan
Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...
signed an agreement on establishment of a Russian naval base in
Port Sudan in
Khartoum
Khartoum or Khartum is the capital city of Sudan as well as Khartoum State. With an estimated population of 7.1 million people, Greater Khartoum is the largest urban area in Sudan.
Khartoum is located at the confluence of the White Nile – flo ...
and, on 1 December 2020, in Moscow. On 25 June 2021, Russian prime minister
Mishustin submitted the agreement for ratification. On 12 July, Sudan was preparing for ratification too.
* Between 28 February and 2 May 2021, a number of Russian ships called at Port Sudan, beginning with frigate
''Admiral Grigorovich'' in what was the first visit of a Russian warship to Sudan in the modern history. This was followed by corvette
''Stoikiy'' and tug ''Kola'' on 19 March, signals intelligence ship ''
Ivan Khurs'' on 10 April, signals intelligence ship ''Vasily Tatishchev'' and its accompanying repair ship PM-138 on 2 May.
Algeria
Russia and Algeria hold annual naval exercise at the end of the year.
* Between 16 and 17 November 2021, Russo-Algerian naval exercise was conducted. Russian Black Sea Fleet's frigate ''Admiral Grigorovich'', patrol ship ''
Vasily Bykov'' and seagoing tug SB-742 took part, as well as Algerian frigate ''Harrad'', training vessel ''La Sammam'' and rescue vessel ''El Munjid''.
Egypt
Russia and Egypt have held an annual naval exercise at the end of the year since 2015. Usually, the exercise is conducted in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, an exception being 2020, when the exercise took place in the Black Sea. From 3–10 December 2021, another Russo-Egyptian naval exercise, Bridge of Friendship, took place in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The Russian task force comprised frigate ''Admiral Grigorovich'', patrol ship ''Dmitry Rogachev'' and sea-going tug SB-742.
Caribbean Sea
On 8 September 2008, it was announced that the ''Pyotr Velikiy'' would sail to the
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...
in order to participate in naval exercises with the
Venezuelan Navy
The Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela (), commonly known as the Venezuelan Navy, is the navy, naval branch of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces of Venezuela.
The Venezuelan Navy serves the purpose of defending the naval sovereignty of Venezuela, i ...
. This represented the first major Russian show of force in that sea since the end of the
Cold War
The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
. On 22 September the ''Kirov-''class nuclear missile cruiser ''Pyotr Velikiy'' and the Udaloy class large anti-submarine ship ''Admiral Chabanenko'', accompanied by support vessels, left their home port of Severomorsk for naval exercises with Venezuela scheduled for early November 2008. On 25 November 2008, a group of warships from Russia's
Northern Fleet arrived at the
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
n port of
La Guaira
La Guaira () is the capital city of the Venezuelan Vargas (state), state of the same name (formerly named Vargas) and the country's main port, founded in 1577 as an outlet for nearby Caracas.
The city hosts its own professional baseball team i ...
.
East Africa: Somali Coast
* On 24 September 2008, the Russian frigate ''
Neustrashimy'' left its home base at Baltiysk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, for counter-piracy operations near the Somali coast.
* From 11 January to 17 March 2009, the ''
Admiral Vinogradov'' took up the counter-piracy mission from the ''Neustrashimy'' and upon completion took a course home to Vladivostok by way of a port visit to Jakarta, Indonesia 24–28 March 2009.
* From 26 April to 7 June 2009, the Pacific Fleet destroyer ''Admiral Panteleyev'' took up counter-piracy duties in the Gulf of Aden, having left Vladivostok at the end of March 2009 to relieve the ''Admiral Vinogradov''. It returned to Vladivostok on 1 July.
Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea
Main article:
Cam Ranh Air Base
* On 11 January 2009, Army General
Nikolai Makarov, Chief of the Russian General Staff, announced that the ''Kirov-''class nuclear-powered cruiser ''Pyotr Velikiy'' and five other ships would take part in exercises with the Indian Navy in late January 2009.
* In 2021, Black Sea Fleet's intelligence ship ''Kildin'' entered port Oman on 1 November. Besides, in summer, the newly built frigate ''Gremyashchy'' and Kilo (Varshavanka) class diesel-electric submarines ''Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky'' and ''Volkhov'' transited Indian Ocean on their way from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean.
East Asia
Since 2012, Russia and China have conducted an annual naval exercise. In even years, they take place off Chinese coast (usually in the Yellow Sea), and in odd years off Russian coast (usually in the Sea of Japan). In 2015 and 2017, in addition to the exercises in the Sea of Japan, additional exercises in the Mediterranean and Baltic Sea, respectively, were held. In 2021, for the first time the exercise surpassed the defensive character as Russian and Chinese warships passed through the Tsugaru Strait between Japanese islands Hokkaido and Honshu.
* On 23 October 2021, Russian and Chinese Navies conducted first ever joint patrol. Five warships of each navy participated, including two destroyers, two corvettes and a command ship. Russian Navy was represented by destroyers ''Admiral Panteleyev'' and ''Admiral Tributs'', corvettes ''Gromky'' and ''Geroy Rossiyskoy federatsii Aldar Tsydenzhapov'' and tracking ship ''Marshal Krylov''. The patrol group passed through the Tsugaru Strait. Joint Russo-Chinese operations imply readiness of both superpowers to cooperate to limit the power of the American-led order in the Asia-Pacific region.
* From 1–3 December 2021, the first naval exercise between Russia and ASEAN occurred in the Indonesian territorial waters. Russia was represented by destroyer ''Admiral Panteleyev'', Vietnam by frigate ''Ly Thai To'', Indonesia by frigate ''Raden Eddy Martadinata'', Malaysia by frigate ''Lekiu'', Singapore by corvette ''Vigour'', Brunei by off-shore patrol vessel ''Daruttaqwa'', Thailand by frigate ''Kraburi'' and Myanmar by frigate ''Kyansittha'', while Philippines joined as an observer.
See also
*
History of the Russian Navy
*
Future of the Russian Navy
*
Russian Naval Academy
*
List of ships of the line of Russia
*
List of aircraft carriers of Russia and the Soviet Union
*
List of Russian Navy cruisers
*
List of Russian Navy equipment
*
List of ships of Russia by project number
*
List of Soviet and Russian submarine classes
Submarines of the Soviet Navy were developed by numbered "projects", which were sometimes but not always given names. During the
Cold War, NATO nations referred to these classes by NATO reporting name
NATO uses a system of code names, called ...
*
List of active Russian Navy ships
This list of active Russian Navy ships presents a picture which can never be fully agreed upon in the absence of greater data availability and a consistent standard for which ships are considered operational or not. The Soviet Navy, and the Rus ...
for current Order of Battle of the Russian Navy
*
Russian Hydrographic Service
*
Russian torpedoes
Notes
References
Further reading
* Lebedev A.A. ''To March and Battle Ready? The Combat Capabilities of Naval Squadrons Russian Sailing Fleet XVIII – mid XIX centuries. from the Point of View of the Status of Their Personnel''. SPb, 2015. .
* Reuben Johnson, "Russian Navy 'faces irreversible collapse,'" ''
Jane's Defence Weekly
''Jane's Defence Weekly'' (abbreviated as ''JDW'') is a weekly magazine reporting on military and corporate affairs, edited by Peter Felstead. It is one of a number of military-related publications named after John F. T. Jane, an Englishman who ...
'', 15 July 2009, and link to original Russian article a
ВМФ умрет в ближайшие годы Nvo.ng.ru (2009-07-03). Retrieved on 2010-09-09.
* "Russia Will Not Build Aircraft Carriers Till 2010."
RIA Novosti
RIA Novosti (), sometimes referred to as RIAN () or RIA (), is a Russian state-owned domestic news agency. On 9 December 2013, by a decree of Vladimir Putin, it was liquidated and its assets and workforce were transferred to the newly created ...
. 16 May 2005. (Via Lexis-Nexis, 27 July 2005).
* "The Russian Navy – A Historic Transition." U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence. December 201
External links
*
{{Authority control
Russian Navy,
Military of Russia
Military units and formations established in 1992
1992 establishments in Russia