Russian Navy News

02.09.2010 Russian Navy HQ moves to St. Petersburg
Russian Navy's Main Headquarters headed by Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky, Navy Commander-in-Chief will move from Moscow to St. Petersburg by the end of 2010. The move will succeed radical optimization of the Navy's control structure.

02.09.2010 Ceremony on 106th anniversary of Varyag held in Vladivostok
106th anniversary of heroic deed of legendary cruiser Varyag and gunboat Koreyets was celebrated at Naval Cemetery in Vladivostok on Tuesday. Wreaths and flowers were laid at the monument to heroes of Varyag; a prayer was said in commemoration of sailors whose heroism has become a symbol of courage and bravery.

02.08.2010 Russia kicks off building of fourth Borei-class sub
Construction of SSBN Svyatitel Nikolai, fourth one in Project 955/955A Borei started in Dec 2009. Most likely, the official keel laying ceremony will be occasional to Submariner's Day which is annually celebrated on March 19.

02.08.2010 Black Sea Fleet to get 5 new ships by 2015
In the nearest five years Russia's Black Sea Fleet (BSF) will be reinforced with new frigates and diesel-electric submarines. Anti-piracy missions off Somalia which Russian Navy is currently facing can be only carried out by ocean-going warships.

02.08.2010 Neustrashimy helped to release hijacked bulker
Russian frigate Neustrashimy Friday took part in release of Slovenian bulker Ariella from Somali pirates' captivity, having intercepted boat with seven pirates. Frigate Neustrashimy was the first Russian warship charged with counter-piracy mission.

02.05.2010 Russian Navy CIC to open jubilee session of St. Petersburg Maritime Assembly
Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky, Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief will take part in solemn meeting in honor of 100th anniversary of first in Russia Maritime Assembly. St. Petersburg Maritime Assembly was established in February 1910 at the direction of Russian Emperor Nicholas II.

02.04.2010 Mayor of Yekaterinburg met with former commander of same-named sub
On Feb 3 Arkady Chernetsky, mayor of Yekaterinburg city met with Capt 1 rank Andrei Pavlovsky, submarine division deputy commander who had been commander of SSBN Yekaterinburg since 2001 till 2004. When Yekaterinburg patrons come to meet with sponsored crew they always bring heap of needed and useful gifts.

02.04.2010 BrahMos missile to be tested this year at the Baltic Sea
Russian-Indian sea-based supersonic cruise missile BrahMos will be tested this year at the Baltic Sea. The missile will be launched from Indian Talwar-class frigate which is proceeding to completion at Yantar Shipyard (Kaliningrad, Russia).

02.03.2010 Indian Navy to commission squadron of MiG-29K in Feb
India intends to purchase one more parcel of 29 Russian deck-based fighters MiG-29K for $1.2 bln. Indian Navy will commission first batch of MiG fighters this month. An official ceremony will be held at naval airbase Hansa in Goa on Feb 19.

02.03.2010 Field exercise at BSF AD regiment
Black Sea Fleet's air defense regiment carried out a scheduled field exercise. The purpose of drill is improvement of individual professional skills of naval antiaircrafters and cohesiveness of the regiment's units. One of the AA batteries, command post and other units took part in the exercise. As part of the drill, a shooting practice was arranged for young seamen at the firing range.

02.03.2010 Avrora won't be decommissioned – deputy CIC
Russian Navy Command does not plan to decommission legendary cruiser Avrora famed for her storied fire on Zimny Palace [Russian Emperor's residence] in 1917. The warship appeared in the center of scandal on June 6, 2009.

02.02.2010 Sailors were released in Congo – Russian MFA
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday confirmed release of 8 Ukrainian sailors. One of them has Russian citizenship. The sailors were previously charged with murder of the Congolese citizens illegally intruded on board the vessel.

02.02.2010 Frigate Neustrashimy escorts next convoy through the Gulf of Aden
Baltic Fleet's frigate Neustrashimy on Monday started escorting next convoy of civil ships through the Gulf of Aden. The convoy consists of Turkish-flagged Horizon, Bahamian-flagged Kition, and Medkas-Pipe flying Cyprus flag.

02.01.2010 Sakhalin frontiersmen salvaged holed Japanese ship
Japanese party thanked Sakhalin Coast Guard Dpt (SCGD) for assistance rendered to injured vessel holed Friday as a result of collision with ice floe at the Sea of Okhotsk.

01.28.2010 The Ship Day to be celebrated at SSN Kuzbass
The Ship Day will be celebrated at SSN Kuzbass on Jan 30, 2010. On the eve of festive occasion Kemerovo Governor Aman Tuleev congratulated the sub's commander and all personnel. K-419 Kuzbass is a Project 971 Schuka-B 3rd generation nuclear-powered attack submarine.

01.26.2010 The medal "For Naval Merit" was instituted in Russia
Committee on public medals and memorable signs unanimously voted for institution of medal "For Naval Merit". The medal has been instituted to promote service in Russian Navy and maintain naval traditions. Production of medals and credentials are financed by extrabudgetary funds.

01.25.2010 EMERCOM managed to salvage sinking refrigerator
Actions taken by EMERCOM rescuers in salvage of refrigerator vessel Smolninsky suffering distress at the Sea of Okhotsk enabled the ship to avoid submersion or drift to the floe. At present, the crew cleans the vessel from ice; that helped to decrease lurch from 25 to 23 degrees.

01.25.2010 BSF contradicted rumor of emergency
Russia's Black Sea Fleet contradicted information spread by foreign media about a BSF ship suffering distress at the Black Sea. All technical blocks of BSF vessels currently sailing at the Black Sea work normally, there are no failures in their operation.

01.22.2010 Hull assembly of Seliger vessel ordered by MoD is completed
Baltic shipyard Yantar has finished hull assembly of research vessel Seliger planned to be delivered to the orderer – Russian Ministry of Defense – in 2011. Research vessel Seliger is designed for conducting experimental researches. Baltic shipyard Yantar was established in July 1945 on the basis of Koenigsberg shipyards Schichau.

01.22.2010 Release of two seiners from ice captivity started at Sakhalin
An icebreaker sailed off to the region where two Sakhalin seiners drifted in ice for over a week; it will help vessels to reach open water. On Jan 11 two fishing ships sailed off to fish salmon trout at Terpeniya bay; however, soon both vessels got stuck in ice.

01.22.2010 Vessel with 30 Russians iced up and may sink at the Sea of Okhotsk
Refrigerator ship Smolninsky with 30 Russians on board iced up while fishing off Sakhalin Island and may sink. The nearest vessels need about 10 hours to approach Smolninsky. Use of rescue aviation is impossible due to bad weather conditions.

01.21.2010 Aircraft carrier being upgraded for India is 70% completed
Severodvinsk shipbuilders engaged in outfitting of Indian aircraft carrier Vikramaditya (former Admiral Gorshkov) have completely prepared the ship for electrical installation works. Generally, the carrier is 70% completed. According to recent agreements, the ship is to be commissioned into Indian Navy in 2012.

01.21.2010 Zvezdochka produced assembly stand for new Angara booster
Defense shipyard Zvezdochka (Severodvinsk) produced multipurpose assembly stand by order of Plesetsk Space Center; the stand is used for assembling head of new generation space booster Angara. Zvezdochka has been taking part in Angara project implementation since 2004.

01.21.2010 Russian mariners are forbidden to talk with pirates
Crews of Russian warships dispatched to fight piracy off Somalia are forbidden to enter into negotiations with hijackers. Function of bargaining with pirates is no longer a duty of Russian mariners; it has been completely excepted. Russia joined counter-piracy naval operation in 2008.

01.20.2010 New figurants are charged of SSN Nerpa breakdown
PF Military Procuracy exhibited negligence charge to Dmitry Lavrentiev, commander of nuclear-powered submarine Nerpa, and Sergei Zakharchenko, ex-commander of 72d brigade of built and repaired submarines (Bolshoi Kamen, Primorsky Krai). According to investigators, officers did not provide required qualification of sub personnel.

01.19.2010 Crews of two vessels stuck in ice off Sakhalin are evacuated
Being assisted by helicopters, rescuers managed to evacuate 14 crewmen from two fishing seiners stuck in ice at Terpeniya bay off Sakhalin six days ago. Rescued crewmembers are currently being carried to shipowner's base, and then they will return home.

01.18.2010 Rotation of RN warships near Horn of Africa to be completed late Jan
Baltic Fleet's (BF) frigate Neustrashimy will shift large ASW ship (LAS) Admiral Chabanenko near Horn of Africa late January. The frigate has successfully passed Suez Canal and is currently heading for the certain point to contact LAS Admiral Chabanenko.

01.18.2010 Russian Navy to buy MiG-29K fighters for Admiral Kuznetsov carrier
In 2010 Russian Navy intends to purchase first parcel of deck-based fighters MiG-29K which will be based on aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. Within a few years, MiG-29 and Su-33 aircrafts will be the basis of Russia's deck-based fighter aviation. MiG-29K is a multirole deck-based fighter of 4++ generation.

01.15.2010 Large ASW ship Admiral Chabanenko escorted next civil convoy
Russian Navy's large ASW ship Admiral Chabanenko has successfully escorted subsequent civil convoy through dangerous regions off Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden. It is the fourth vessel escorted by the Russian warship through piracy hazardous area.

01.14.2010 RNS Neustrashimy started crossing Suez Canal
Russian frigate Neustrashimy started crossing Suez Canal Thursday morning. The ship's crew is ready to complete assigned tasks on securing civil navigation at the pirate hazardous regions. In 2010 Russian warships will continue regular presence in the Gulf of Aden and off Horn of Africa.