| Russian Navy | |
|---|---|
| |
 Emblem of the Russian Navy | |
| Active |
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| Country | Russia |
| Branch | Navy |
| Size | 160,000 active duty (2023)[2] c. 305 warships (surface combatants, amphibious ships & submarines) & numerous auxiliaries[3] |
| Part of | Armed Forces of the Russian Federation |
| Headquarters | Admiralty building,Saint Petersburg |
| Mottos | "С нами Бог и Андреевский флаг!" (God and St. Andrew's flag are with us!) |
| March |
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| Anniversaries | Navy Day (last Sunday in July) Submariner's Day (19 March) Surface Sailor's Day (20 October) |
| Fleet | c. 65 submarines; c. 230 surface warships; plus numerous auxiliaries See:List of active Russian Navy ships |
| Engagements | |
| Website | structure |
| Commanders | |
| Supreme Commander-in-Chief | PresidentVladimir Putin |
| Minister of Defense | Andrey Belousov |
| Commander-in-Chief | AdmiralAleksandr Moiseyev |
| Chief of the Main Staff | AdmiralVladimir Kasatonov |
| Insignia | |
| Ensign |  |
| Jack |  |
| Pennant | .svg) |
| Patch |  |
| Great Emblem |  |
| Insignia |  |
TheRussian Navy[a] is thenaval arm of theRussian Armed Forces. It has existed in various forms since 1696. Its present iteration was formed in January 1992 when it succeeded the Navy of theCommonwealth of Independent States (which had itself succeeded theSoviet Navy following thedissolution of the Soviet Union in late December 1991).
TheImperial Russian Navy was established byPeter the Great (Peter I) in October 1696. The symbols of the Russian Navy, theSt. Andrew's ensign, and most of its traditions were established personally by Peter I.[4]
The Russian navy possesses the vast majority of the former Soviet naval forces, and currently comprises theNorthern Fleet, thePacific Fleet, theBlack Sea Fleet, theBaltic Fleet, theCaspian Flotilla, thepermanent task force in the Mediterranean,Naval Aviation, and the Coastal Troops (consisting of theNaval Infantry and the Coastal Missile and Artillery Troops).
The Russian navy suffered severely with thecollapse of the Soviet Union 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".[5] In August 2014, Defence MinisterSergei Shoigu said that Russian naval capabilities would be bolstered with new weapons and equipment within the next six years in response to theenlargement of NATO and the beginning of theRusso-Ukrainian War.[6] Following the full-scale2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Navy has lost several ships, including thecruiser Moskva, flaghship of the Black Sea.
As of September 2024[update] the Russia's only aircraft carrier, theAdmiral Kuznetsov is non-operational with reports indicating that the carrier's crew of ca. 1500 was reassigned to theRussian Army forcombat duty in Ukraine. This suggests that for the present, there is no plan to make the Russian Navy a carrier navy once again.[7]
| Russian Armed Forces |
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| Staff |
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| Independent troops (rod) |
| Special operations force (sof) |
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| History of the Russian military |
The 1991dissolution of the Soviet Union 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'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.[8] The situation was exacerbated by the impractical range of vessel types which the Sovietmilitary-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.[9]
TheKiev-class aircraft carrying cruisers and many other ships were prematurely retired, and the incomplete secondAdmiral Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrierVaryag was eventually sold to thePeople's Republic of China 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 theAkula-class submarineNerpa had been under construction for fifteen years.[10]
Storage of decommissioned nuclear submarines in ports nearMurmansk became a significant issue, with theBellona Foundation reporting details of lowered readiness. Naval support bases outside Russia, such asCam Ranh Bay in Vietnam, were gradually closed, with the exception of the modest technical support base inTartus,Syria to support ships deployed to the Mediterranean. Naval Aviation declined as well from its height asSoviet Naval Aviation, 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.[11] 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.[12]
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.[13] The decline culminated in the loss of the Oscar II-class submarineKursk during the Northern Fleet summer exercise that was intended to back up the publication of a new naval doctrine.[14]
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.[15] Despite this improvement, the November2008 accident on board theAkula-classsubmarine attack boatNerpa during sea trials before lease to India represented a concern for the future.[16]
The strength and quality of the Russian Navy started to improve during the 2010s. From 2010-2014 Russian officials negotiated the purchase of fourMistral-classlanding helicopter docks. On 3 September 2014, French President announced that due to Russia's "recent actions in Ukraine", the two ships would not be delivered.[17] In November 2014, François Hollande placed a hold on the delivery of the firstMistral 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.[18] 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.[19][20] The ships eventually were sold to Egypt.
In 2012, as part of an ambitious rebuilding effort,PresidentVladimir Putin announced a plan to build 51 modern ships and 24 submarines by 2020.[21] Of the 24 submarines, 16 were to be nuclear-powered.[22] On 10 January 2013, the Russian Navy finally accepted its first new Borei-class SSBN (Yury Dolgorukiy) for service.[23] A second Borei (Aleksandr Nevskiy) was undergoing sea trials and entered service on 21 December 2013.[24]
A thirdBorei-class boat (Vladimir Monomakh) was launched and began trials in early 2013, and was commissioned in late 2014.[25] As of early 2025, eight Borei-class boats are in service, along with fiveYasen-class nuclear attack/cruise missile submarines. More vessels of these classes are building along with additionalLada andImproved-Kilo-class conventional attack submarines. The surface fleet is also being modernized, principally by introducing at leastsix new classes of corvette/offshore patrol vessels, a new class of frigate (theAdmiral 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.[26]
On 31 July 2022 during Russian Navy Day, Putin approved a new maritime doctrine for Russia. The new doctrine suggests an increased state focus on the Arctic and theNorthern Sea Route, as well as an increased naval presence in the Mediterranean and Red Seas, both using already-established bases and establishing new bases on other territories in the area. Plans for the development of shipbuilding industries in Crimea were also mentioned, as well as the development of newLNG terminals and shipbuilding industries in the Far East. With the US and Allies identified as the major maritime threat, cooperation with India and Middle Eastern allies was also emphasised, as well as the necessity for increased foreign port visits by Russian Navy vessels.[27][better source needed] In 2023, Russian state media claimed that the Russian Navy received 3 submarines, 7 surface ships (including a modernized one), 33 multipurpose, raid and support vessels, 11 aircraft and helicopters, and also over 7,700 cruise, anti-ship and anti-submarine missiles.[28][better source needed]
In 2022, the Russian Navy took part in theRussian invasion of Ukraine, starting with theattack on Snake Island at the beginning of the war, at which the Ukrainian defenders told theRussian cruiser Moskva, flagship of the Black Sea; "Russian warship, go fuck yourself",[29][30] 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 withNeptune 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. Thesinking ofMoskva is the most significant Russian naval loss in action since World War II.[31] In December 2023, theRussian landing ship Novocherkassk was also destroyed after being hit by Ukrainian cruise missiles.[32]
On 31 January 2024, Ukrainiansea drones struck the RussianTarantul-class corvetteIvanovets in the Black Sea, causing the ship to sink.[33][34] Two weeks later on 14 February, the same type of Ukrainian sea drones struck and sank theRussian Landing ship Tsezar Kunikov.[35][36] On 5 March, the patrol boat Sergei Kotov was also lost to sea drones.[37] While precise information on Russian ship losses during the war are is not available, the fleet has lost at least four major warships (with others damaged), three major amphibious ships (with others damaged) and one submarine (Rostov-na-Donu), which was either seriously damaged or possibly destroyed while in dry dock.[38][39][40] The fleet has continued to operate and attempted to adjust to Ukrainian tactics by integrating new defensive systems in ships and by redeploying vessels to the eastern Black Sea, or out of the region entirely, until sufficiently upgraded.[41][42][43]
| Navies of Russia |
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Since 2012 the headquarters of the Russian Navy (Russian Navy Main Staff) is once again located in The Admiralty inSaint Petersburg. Russian naval manpower is a mixture of conscripts serving one-year terms and volunteers (Officers and Ratings). In 2006 theIISS 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 theAdmiralty building in St. Petersburg, the historic location of the headquarters of the Imperial Russian Navy. The Navy Staff finally relocated there in November 2012.[citation needed]
The Russian Navy is organised into four combat services - the Surface Forces, the Submarine Forces, the Naval Aviation and the Coastal Troops.[44] Additionally the navy also includes support units afloat and ashore. It does not include special forces. TheNaval Spetsnaz brigades are part of theMain 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 theNorthern and thePacific 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 respectiveBaltic andBlack Sea Fleets were given a more circumscribed role in support of adjacent ground formation (the Main Command of the Troops of the Western Direction inLegnica (Poland) and the Main Command of the Troops of the South-Western Direction inChișinău).
These two fleets were armed with shorter-range weapon systems than the main fleets (diesel-electric submarines,Sukhoi Su-24 fighter-bombers and a larger quantity offrigates andcorvettes). Due to the closed nature of theCaspian Sea (still connected to the Baltic and Black Seas through theVolga River and the system of rivers and canals and navigable for ships of corvette size) itsCaspian Flotilla 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 inBaku.
With the end of theCold War a significant reduction in forces followed. Before the2008 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 fifthNorthern Fleet Joint Strategic Command.
In 2024, amid increasing tensions with NATO, and owing to a significantly weakened position for Russia in northern Europe, resulting from theSwedish andFinnish entry into NATO, both theNorthern andBaltic Fleets were subordinated to the command of theLeningrad Military District. The Military District was now responsible for the command of all Russian ground, sea and air forces stretching fromKaliningrad to theArctic Ocean. The Russian Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla remained subordinate to theSouthern Military District while the Pacific Fleet was subordinate to theEastern Military District.[45][46][47][48][49]
The submarine and surface forces form the backbone of the Navy. Submarines can form part of dedicated submarine squadrons and flotillas or, alternatively, they can operate as part of squadrons and flotillas of mixed composition together with major and/or minor surface combatants.
Over the past two decades there has been an attempt to modernize and update the fleet by emphasizing the production and introduction of modern light units to begin to replace large numbers of obsolescent corvettes, missile boats and mine counter-measures ships from the Soviet-era. In addition, there has been significant emphasis on submarine production with the introduction of nuclear-powered ballistic missile, nuclear-powered cruise missile as well as new classes of conventionally-powered attack submarines. This trend is continuing through the 2020s, particularly in relation to the submarine component ofRussia's nuclear deterrent forces.[50][51]
| Part of | Fleet unit | Officer commanding | Ground and air forces equivalent | Officer commanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation | Commander-in-Chief of the Navy (Главнокомандующий Военно-морским флотом Российской Федерации) | Admiral | Commander-in-Chief of the Land Forces (Главнокомандующий Сухопутными войсками Российской Федерации) Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces (Главнокомандующий Воздушно-космическими силамиРоссийской Федерации) | Colonel general | |
| Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander of the Navy (Начальник штаба — первый заместитель Главнокомандующего ВМФ) | Vice admiral | Chief of the Main Staff and First Deputy Commander of the Land Forces (Начальник Главного штаба Сухопутных войск — первый заместитель главнокомандующего Сухопутными войсками) Chief of the Main Staff and First Deputy Commander of the Aerospace Forces (Начальник Главного штаба — первый заместитель Главнокомандующего Воздушно-космическими силами) | Lieutenant general | ||
| Deputy Commander of the Navy (Заместитель Главнокомандующего ВМФ) | Vice admiral / Lieutenant general (Marines and Naval Aviation) | Deputy Commander of the Land Forces (Заместитель Главнокомандующего СВ) Deputy Commander of the Aerospace Forces (Заместитель Главнокомандующего ВКС) | Lieutenant general | ||
| Leningrad Military District | Commander of theNorthern Fleet (Командующий Северным флотом) | Admiral |
| Colonel general | |
| Eastern Military District | Commander of thePacific Fleet (Командующий Тихоокеанским флотом) | ||||
| Leningrad Military District | Commander of theBaltic Fleet (Командующий Балтийским флотом) | Vice admiral |
| Lieutenant general | |
| Southern Military District | Commander of theBlack Sea Fleet (Командующий Черноморским флотом) | ||||
| Commander of theCaspian Flotilla (Командующий Каспийской флотилией) | Kontradmiral |
| Major general | ||
| Fleet (Флот) | Flotilla (Флотилия) | Kontradmiral | Used to correspond to a ground forces or air forcesArmy.
| Major general | Could be separateFlotilla or one forming part of aFleet. For example, the modern dayPrimorskaya Mixed Forces Formation (formerly Mixed Forces Flotilla) of thePacific Fleet. |
| Fleet (Флот) | Operational Squadron (Оперативная эскадра) | Kontradmiral |
| Major general | Naval Task Force. For example, thePermanent task force of the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea. |
| Fleet (Флот) | Squadron (ships) (Эскадра) | Kontradmiral |
| Major general | A permanent formation, combining several divisions and brigades. Equal to an Army Corps. |
| Squadron (ships) | Division of major ships (Дивизия кораблей) | Kontradmiral | Division | Major general | For example, theBlack Sea Fleet's 30th Surface Ships Division or theNorthern Fleet's 7th Submarine Division. |
| Fleet (Флот) | Naval Base (Военно-морская база) | Kontradmiral | Division | Major general | A Naval Base is a command of divisional level, which is subordinated to a Fleet or Flotilla. It provides berthing, supply and repair to the Fleet's main forces, as well as defence against conventional and asymmetric threats. For that reason it includes a Brigade of ships of at least one missile corvette division and one minesweeper division. The base also deploys counter-diversion combat divers and possibly a coastal defence ground formation of marines and coastal artillery. The Naval Base could include a main base location and one or more secondary locations, in which case the secondary locations would deploy a mixed division of corvettes/ fast attack craft and minesweepers. |
| Squadron (ships) / Naval Base | Brigade of ships (Бригада кораблей) | Kontradmiral / | Brigade | Major general / |
|
| Division of major ships (Дивизия кораблей) | Division of warships of 2nd rank (Дивизион кораблей 2-го ранга) | Captain 1st Rank | Regiment / Air Regiment | Colonel | Increasingly out of use as in modern days warships 2nd class form ships brigades and ships divisions. |
| Division of major ships (Дивизия кораблей) / Brigade of ships (Бригада кораблей) | Division of warships of 3rd rank (Дивизион кораблей 3-го ранга) | Captain 2nd rank | Separate Battalion / Air Squadron | Lieutenant colonel | Division of corvettes. |
| Brigade of ships (Бригада кораблей) / Naval Base (Военно-морская база) | Division of warships of 4th rank (Дивизион кораблей 4-го ранга) | Captain 3rd rank | Separate Battalion / Air Squadron | Major | Division fast craft or minesweepers. |
| Brigade of ships (Бригада кораблей) / Naval Base (Военно-морская база) | Division of warships of 4th rank (Дивизион кораблей 4-го ранга) | Captain 3rd rank / | Separate Company / Separate Battery / Air Flight | Captain | In case of a division of small support craft of a naval base, such as tug boats, fire boats, courier launches etc. |
| Individual ships | |||||
| Division of major ships (Дивизия кораблей) / Brigade of ships (Бригада кораблей) | Warship 1st rank | Captain 1st Rank | Regiment / Air Regiment
| Colonel |
|
| Brigade of ships (Бригада кораблей) / Division of small ships (Дивизион кораблей) | Warship 2nd rank | Captain 2nd rank | Separate Battalion / Air Squadron
| Lieutenant colonel | |
| Division of ships 3rd rank (Дивизион кораблей 3-го ранга) | Warship 3rd rank | Captain 3rd rank | Separate Battalion / Air Squadron
| Major | |
| Division of ships 4th rank (Дивизион кораблей 4-го ранга) | Warship 4th rank | Captain lieutenant / | Platoon | Captain / |
|
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Coastal Troops include the Naval Infantry and the Coastal Missile and Artillery Troops.
The Russian Naval Infantry are theamphibious force of the Russian Navy and can trace their origins back to 1705, whenPeter the Great issued a decree for an infantryregiment "of naval equipage". Since its formation it has seen action in theNapoleonic Wars, theCrimean War, theRusso-Japanese War, the First and Second World Wars, and the Chechen and Georgian conflicts. Under the leadership ofAdmiral Gorshkov during the Cold War, the Soviet Navy expanded the reach of the Naval Infantry and deployed it worldwide on numerous occasions, but since thedissolution of the Soviet Union 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 duringWorld War II 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 andair assault 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 theBaltic Military District practically disintegrated. The massive ground forces formations left landlocked in theKaliningrad Oblast 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 theNorthern Fleet fall within that process.
As of 2022, there appeared to be a longer-term intent to expand all Russian naval infantry brigades into division-sized formations, coupled with the planned acquisition of both the newIvan Rogov-class helicopter assault ships as well as upgradedIvan Gren-class landing ships. However, full implementation of such a plan would likely have to await the conclusion of the Russo-Ukraine War.[52]
The coastal artillery troops also play a very important role for the Navy. The geography of theBarents Sea, theBaltic Sea, theBlack Sea and theSea of Okhotsk as well as theCaspian Sea makes the deployment of shore-based, anti-ship systems in an area-denying role very effective. They deployK-300P Bastion-P supersonicASCM,3M-54 Kalibr cruise subsonic ASCM andA-222E Bereg-E 130mm coastal mobile artillery system as well as self-propelledsurface-to-air missile systems.[53][54][55][56]
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 (NI) Aleksandr Kolpatsenko. Their motto is: "Where We Are, There is Victory!"
_DD-SD-99-06153.jpg)
The first naval aviation units in Russia were formed from 1912 through 1914 as a part of theBaltic Fleet and theBlack Sea Fleet. Since its formation, it has participated in theRussian Civil War,World War II 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 theU.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 theTu-22M "Backfire" and theTu-16 "Badger".[citation needed]
Since the fall of the Soviet Union Russia's naval aviation 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 aroundSukhoi Su-33s,Mikoyan MiG-29Ks, withSukhoi Su-30s andSukhoi Su-34s replacing the obsoleteSukhoi Su-24s. Russia's sole aircraft carrier,Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov (063), has also been inactive since 2017 and, as of 2025, has been reported as unlikely to return to operational service.[57][58] The carrier's fixed-wing aircraft were then re-deployed to a land-based role.[59][60]
As of 2025, the Russian Naval Aviation consists of the following components:[61][62]
As of 2025, aircraft losses during the Russo-Ukraine War, for both theRussian Aerospace Forces and shore-based Russian naval aviation, have included at least sevenSukhoi Su-30SMs and between 10 and 20 of the olderSu-24MRs. Russia's total inventory of approximately 110 Su-30s, and reserve stocks of at least 100 Su-24s, may allow for some of these losses to be absorbed but they have not been insignificant.[63][64][65][66]
The rank insignia ofcommissioned officers.
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Russian Navy[67] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||
| Адмирал флота Admiral flota | Адмирал Admiral | Вице-адмирал Vitse-admiral | Контр-адмирал Contre-admiral | Капитан 1-го ранга Kapitan 1-go ranga | Капитан 2-го ранга Kapitan 2-go ranga | Капитан 3-го ранга Kapitan 3-go ranga | Капитан-лейтенант Kapitan-leytenant | Старший лейтенант Starshiy leytenant | Лейтенант Leytenant | Младший лейтенант Mladshiy leytenant | ||||||||||||||
The rank insignia ofnon-commissioned officers andenlisted personnel.
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russian Navy[67] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Старший мичман Starshy michman | Мичман Michman | Главный корабельный старшина Glavny korabelny starshina | Главный старшина Glavny starshina | Старшина 1 статьи Starshina 1 statji | Старшина 2 статьи Starshina 2 statji | Старший матрос Starshy matros | Матрос Matros | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SeeList of active Russian Navy ships
Historically, the Russian navy has emphasized the creation ofsubmarine bastions, both to protect the security of its submarine-based nuclear forces and to secure the Arctic and Pacific approaches to Russian territory. In order to strengthen its submarine bastion in theBarents Sea, in 2025 it was reported that Russia has likely deployed a network of sonar systems in that region in order to detect submarines. The network, known as "Harmony", is reported to be composed of detection devices arrayed in an arc stretching from Murmansk, viaNovaya Zemlja toFranz Josef Land.[68]
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[69] and Baltic Sea.[70]
The Russian Navy consists of four fleets and one flotilla with all of them subordinated to different Military Districts.
_02.jpg)
The Russian Northern Fleet, dating to 1733 but established as a modern formation in 1933, is headquartered atSeveromorsk and spread around various bases in the greaterMurmansk area. It is the main fleet of the Russian Navy.[71] Since 2024, the fleet has been subordinate to theLeningrad Military District.[72]
The Baltic Fleet, established on 18 May 1703, is based inBaltiysk andKronshtadt, with its headquarters in the city ofKaliningrad,Kaliningrad Oblast.[71] Since 2024, the fleet has been subordinate to theLeningrad Military District.[73]
The Black Sea Fleet, established on 2 May 1783, is based at the Sevastopol, Karantinnaya, and Streletskaya Bays inSevastopol which is also the location of its headquarters, and atNovorossiysk in Krasnodar Kray. The fleet also has various other facilities on theCrimean Peninsula and facilities in Krasnodar Kray.
Since the start of theRusso-Ukraine War, the Black Sea Fleet has experienced serious losses in ships and materiel. In the initial stages of the war, the fleet's flagship, the cruiserMoskva, wassunk on 14 April 2022 during the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[74] Other losses, including theTapir-class landing shipSaratov followed.[75][71] For a broader list of Russian and Ukrainian ship losses in the war see:
However, the fleet has continued operations though information on its precise order of battle is necessarily imprecise.
The Russian Navy has maintained a base under the command of the Southern Military District inSyria atTartus. 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.[76]
On 4 February 2022, naval detachments from the Northern Fleet and Baltic Fleet arrived at Tartus. Large amphibious assault shipsPyotr Morgunov,Georgy Pobedonosets,Olenegorsky Gornyak,Korolyov,Minsk andKaliningrad were under the direction of Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief AdmiralNikolay Yevmenov.[77] In April 2022 there were around 20 Russian naval ships in theMediterranean Sea.[78] 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 theRussian invasion of Ukraine Turkey (who acts as guarantor of theMontreux Convention) decided to ban the passage through the straits of any warships whose homeport is not in the Black Sea.[79]
As of mid-2025, the loss of theRussian base at the port of Tartus in Syria, as a result of theFall of the Assad regime in late 2024, has significantly impacted the ability of the Russian navy to maintain an effective presence in the Mediterranean region. As of mid-2025, Russia and Syria were reportedly engaged in negotiations about the future of Russian naval and air facilities in the country though it remained unclear how extensive Russia's military presence in Syria would be going forward.[80]
The Caspian Flotilla, established on 4 November 1722, is based inAstrakhan andMakhachkala with its headquarters in Astrakhan.[71]
The Pacific Fleet, originally established as the Okhotsk Military Flotilla in 1731, is headquartered in Vladivostok, based aroundVladivostok andPetropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy and is subordinate to the Russian military'sEastern Military District.[81][82]
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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.[83] Higher expenditure led to an increase in numbers of ships under construction, initially focusing on submarines, such as the conventionalPetersburg (Lada)-class and nuclearSeverodvinsk (Yasen)-class. Some older vessels have been refitted as well.Jane's Fighting Ships commented in 2004 that the construction programme was too focused on Cold War scenarios, given the submarine emphasis.[84]
According to the Russian Defence Ministry, share of modern armament in the Navy has reached more than 50% in 2014.[85] A report from December 2019 estimated the figure at 68%.[86][87][88][89] 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.[90] 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 SecretaryNikolai Patrushev reportedly acknowledged that the Russian defence industry “is still dependent on foreign technologies.” The impact ofinternational sanctions on naval procurement projects, given both reduced access to foreign technologies and significant pressure on the defence budget, had yet to be determined.[91]
TheSteregushchiy-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,[92] while the newAdmiral Sergei Gorshkov class frigates marks the first attempt of the Navy to return to the construction of large blue water capable vessels.[citation needed] The Russian Navy had been planning to procure a new class of destroyer, the general-purposeProject 21956. The Lider-class has been envisaged as a "green water" vessel and was anticipated to be nuclear-powered.[93] As of mid-2025, the project remained under development.[94]
The project was reportedly suspended in 2020, apparently in favour of the less expensive Project 22350 Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates.[95] 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.[96] 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.[97]
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 12Borei/Dolgorukiy-class SSBNs are planned to replace older classes in both the Northern and Pacific fleets.[98] These are being complemented by newYasen andKhabarovsk-class SSGNs, as well as conventional submarines of theImproved Kilo andLada 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.[99]
Since 2017, by the decree of the President of Russia dated 27 July 2017,[100] 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 theNavy Day holiday.
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.[101] Among participants were cruiserMarshal Ustinov, destroyersSmetlivy andSeveromorsk, frigatesAdmiral Grigorovich,Admiral Essen,Admiral Makarov,Pytlivy andYaroslav Mudry, corvettesVishny Volochyok,Grad Sviyazhsk andVeliky Ustyug and conventional submarinesKolpino andVelikiy Novgorod.[102]
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.[102]
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 cruiserMarshal Ustinov, destroyerSeveromorsk and frigateAdmiral Gorshkov of the Northern Fleet, as well as Baltic Fleet's frigateYaroslav Mudry, corvettesSteregushchy,Soobrazitelny,[103]Stoykiy,Boikiy,Passat,Geyzer,Serpukhov,Mitishchi,Chuvashiya,Morshansk,Liven,Urengoy, R-257 and LSTsAleksandr Shabalin,Kaliningrad,Minsk andKorolyov,[104] as well as nuclear submarineSmolensk.[105] Other possible participants include ships, participating in the July Naval Parade in St. Petersburg, i.e. frigateAdmiral Kasatonov, corvettesGremyashchy andSovetsk, submarineKronshtadt and minesweepersIvan Antonov,Aleksandr Obukhov andPavel Khenov.[106]
On 3 August 2020, third Ocean Shield exercise started in the Baltic Sea and included Northern Fleet's destroyerVice-Admiral Kulakov and LSTPyotr Morgunov and Baltic Fleet's corvettesSteregushchy,Boikiy andStoikiy.[107]
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 destroyerSeveromorsk, 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, cruisersMarshal Ustinov andPyotr Veliky, destroyerVice-admiral Kulakov and submarinesKaluga,Gepard andDmitry Donskoy were active.[108][109][110][111][112]
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 destroyerAdmiral Panteleev taking part in RIMPAC-2012 exercise and frigateAdmiral Gorshkov sailing near Hawaii in 2019[113]). It included cruiserVaryag, destroyersMarshal Shaposhnikov andAdmiral Panteleyev, corvettesSovershenny,Gromky andAldar Tsydenzhapov,[114] (a) nuclear submarine(s) (likelyOmsk[115] andKuzbass[116]) and intelligence shipKareliya.[117][118]
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 NavyMarshal 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 shipIrtysh[119] 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 withVaryag andMarshal Shaposhnikov.[120]
An additional destroyerAdmiral Tributs was deployed to the South China Sea, accompanying nuclear submarineNerpa.
On 18 June 2021, the Black Sea Fleet deployed cruiserMoskva to the Mediterranean Sea,[121] which, amid deployment ofQueen 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 aKinzhal missile against a ground target in Syria,[122] while a newest air defence systemS-500 was reportedly tested at Khmeymim airbase and obtained a lock on F-35 fighter fromQueen Elizabeth.[123] The exercise included rocket fire 30 km away fromQueen Elizabeth.[124]
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, cruiserMarshal Ustinov, destroyerVice-Admiral Kulakov and frigateAdmiral Kasatonov, as well as tankerVyazma and tug SB-406 were deployed to the southwest of Ireland, conducting first Russian post-Cold war naval exercise west of British isles.[125] Second, destroyerSeveromorsk, frigateAdmiral Gorshkov, LSTIvan Gren, nuclear submarineSeverodvinsk, diesel-electric submarineKaluga, corvettesSnezhnogorsk andBrest, as well as support ships operated in the Barents Sea.[126][127] Additionally, three LSTs were deploying to the Black Sea (Olenogorsky Gornyak,Georgiy Pobedonosets andPyotr Morgunov).[128]
In the Pacific Fleet, cruiserVaryag, destroyerAdmiral Tributs and tankerBoris 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, submarineVolkhov fired a Kalibr missile in the Sea of Japan[129] and two Tu-142 performed flight above the Okhotsk Sea.[130]
In the Baltic Fleet, corvettesSoobrazitelny andStoykiy were deployed to the Northern Sea,[131] whileZeleny Dol,Mytishchi,Odintsovo,Aleksin,Kabardino-Balkariya[132] were active in the Baltic Sea.[133] Additionally, three LSTs were deploying to the Black Sea:Korolyov,Minsk andKaliningrad and intelligence shipVasily Tatishchev to the Mediterranean Sea, where it will monitor three-carrier exercise with CVNHarry Truman,Cavour andCharles de Gaulle in February 2022.[134]
In the Black Sea Fleet, an exercise was conducted by frigatesAdmiral Essen,Ladnyy, corvettesIngushetiya,Grayvoron,Naberezhnye Chelny, R-60,Yeysk,Suzdalets and other ships, totally around 20 ships.[135][136]
Russia organises a central military exercise for September each year.
During Zapad 2021, in Northern Fleet two surface groups were active:Admiral Ushakov andAdmiral Kasatonov in the Barents Sea (along with coastal systems Bal and Bastion-P) andSeveromorsk in the Arctic (along with LSTGeorgiy Pobedonosets, tugPamir and tankerSergey Osipov[137]), as well as submarinesOrel andVerkhoturye (along with minesweepersYelnya,Soloyevetskiy,Yunga,Yadrin andKotelnich in two groups). In the Baltic Fleet, frigateYaroslav Mudry, corvettesSteregushchy andStoykiy and submarineDmitrov were active (along with coastal system Bal).
On 22 February 2021, the Northern Fleet conducted an exercise in which cruiserMarshal 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.[138] Sailing was speculated to be response to the US bombers (B-1B) landing in Norway on the same day for the first time.[139]
Other ships active in the area in January–February 2021 included destroyerSeveromorsk,[140] frigateAdmiral Gorshkov with the tugAltay,[141] nuclear submarineSeverodvinsk (that launched aKalibr missile),[142] corvettesAysberg,[143]Snezhnogorsk,[144]Yunga andBrest,[145] and salvage vesselGeorgiy Titov with deep-submergence rescue vehicleAS-34.[146]
South of Gibraltar, in September–October 2021 Russian Navy deployed destroyerVice-Admiral Kulakov (along tankerAkademik Pashin and tugAltai) that visited Praia, Capo Verde and performed anti-piracy exercise in the Gulf of Guinea.[147][148] It was the first deployment of a Russian warship south of Gibraltar sinceAdmiral Gorshkov's 2019 world circumnavigation.
In February 2008 a Russian Northern Fleet naval task force completed a two-month deployment in theMediterranean Sea 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 theAdmiral Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrierAdmiral Kuznetsov, theUdaloy-class destroyersAdmiral Levchenko andAdmiral Chabanenko, and theSlava-class guided missile cruiserMoskva, 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 40Russian Air Force aircraft took part in joint exercises with the navy as well.[149]
Russia and Algeria hold annual naval exercise at the end of the year.
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 frigateAdmiral Grigorovich, patrol shipDmitry Rogachev and sea-going tug SB-742.[172]
On 8 September 2008, it was announced that thePyotr Velikiy would sail to theCaribbean Sea in order to participate in naval exercises with theVenezuelan Navy. This represented the first major Russian show of force in that sea since the end of theCold War.[173] On 22 September theKirov-class nuclear missile cruiserPyotr Velikiy and the Udaloy class large anti-submarine shipAdmiral Chabanenko, accompanied by support vessels, left their home port of Severomorsk for naval exercises with Venezuela scheduled for early November 2008.[174] On 25 November 2008, a group of warships from Russia'sNorthern Fleet arrived at theVenezuelan port ofLa Guaira.[citation needed]
Main article:Cam Ranh Air Base[180]
Since 2012, Russia and China have conducted an annual naval exercise.[183] 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.
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