Black Sea Fleet

Black Sea Fleet

Black Sea Fleet sleeve ensign
Active May 13, 1783–present
Allegiance  Russian Empire
(1783–1918)
 Soviet Union
(1918–1991)
 Russian Federation
(1991–present)
Branch Russian navy
Role Naval warfare
Amphibious warfare
Size 11,000 (including marines)
45 warships
6 submarines (2014)[1]
Part of Russian Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ Crimea
Krasnodar Krai
Anniversaries May 13
Engagements Battle of Kerch Strait
Crimean War
Russo-Japanese War
World War I
Russian Civil War
World War II
Yom Kippur War
Russo-Georgian War
Russian military intervention in Ukraine
2014 annexation of Crimea
Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War
Commanders
Current
commander		 Adm. Aleksandr Vitko
Notable
commanders		 Adm. Fyodor Ushakov
Adm. Alexander Menshikov
Adm. Yevgeni Alekseyev
Adm. Alexander Kolchak
Adm. Ivan Yumashev
Fleet Adm. Sergey Gorshkov
Fleet Adm. Vladimir Kasatonov
Adm. Vladimir Masorin
Navies of Russia

Imperial Russia

Imperial Navy (1696–1917)

White movement fleet (1917—1922)

Soviet Union

Soviet Navy (1918–1991)

Russian Federation

Russian Navy (1991–present)

The Black Sea Fleet (Russian: Черноморский Флот, Chernomorsky Flot) is a large operational-strategic command of the Russian (and formerly Soviet) Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century. Its ships are based in various harbors of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, while its aviation and infrastructure is based in various locations in Crimea and Krasnodar Krai.

It is considered to have been founded by Prince Potemkin on May 13, 1783, together with its principal base, the city of Sevastopol. Russia struggled for a long time against its main rival in the region, the Ottoman Empire, with the Ottoman Navy being its main opponent in the Black Sea. The Black Sea Fleet defeated the Turks in 1790, and fought the Ottomans during World War I, the Romanians during World War II, and Georgia during the 2008 South Ossetia war. The division of the fleet in 1997 became the basis of the Ukrainian Navy.

History

Russian Black Sea Fleet after the battle of Sinope, 1853

The Black Sea Fleet is considered to have been founded by Prince Potemkin on May 13, 1783, together with its principal base, the city of Sevastopol. Formerly commanded by such legendary admirals as Dmitriy Senyavin and Pavel Nakhimov, it is a fleet of enormous historical and political importance for Russia. In 1790, Russian naval forces under the command of Admiral Fyodor Ushakov defeated the Turkish fleet at the Battle of Kerch Strait.[2]

From 1841 onward, the fleet was confined to the Black Sea by the London Straits Convention.

As a result of the Crimean War, one provision of the Treaty of Paris was that the Black Sea was to be a demilitarized zone like the Island of Åland in the Baltic Sea, although Russia subsequently renounced the treaty and reconstituted its naval strength and fortifications in the Black Sea.

The crew of the battleship Potemkin revolted in 1905 soon after the Navy's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War. Lenin wrote that the Potemkin uprising had had a huge importance in terms of being the first attempt at creating the nucleus of a revolutionary army.

During World War I, there were a number of encounters between the Russian and Ottoman navies in the Black Sea. The Ottomans initially had the advantage due to their having under their command the German battleship SMS Goeben, but after the two modern Russian dreadnoughts Imperatritsa Mariya and Imperatritsa Ekaterina Velikaya had been built in Mykolaiv, the Russians took command of the sea until the Russian government collapsed in November 1917. German submarines of the Constantinople Flotilla and Turkish light forces would continue to raid and harass Russian shipping until the war's end.

Soviet Navy

During the Russian Civil War, the vast majority of the Black Sea Fleet was scuttled by Bolsheviks in Novorossiysk; some were managed to be interned by the Central powers (later passed to Ukraine) or Western Allies (later passed to the White movement, see Wrangel's fleet). In 1919 out of the remnants of the Russian Imperial Fleet was established the Red Fleet of Ukraine which existed few months before a major advance of the Armed Forces of South Russia which occupied all the South and East Ukraine. Most of the ships became part of the "Russian Squadron" of Wrangl's armed forces and after the evacuation sailed to Tunisia. Out of those ships, some were passed to the French Navy and some were salvaged.

Upon the defeat of the Armed Forces of South Russia, the Ukrainian National Army and the Polish Armed Forces in Ukraine the Soviet government signed a military union with the Russian SFSR transferring all the command to the Commander-in-chief of Russia. Few ships that did stay in Black Sea were salvaged in the 1920s, while a large scale new construction programme began in the 1930s. Over 500 new ships were built during that period as well as massive expansion of coastal infrastructure took place. The Fleet was commanded by Vice Admiral F.S. Oktyabrskiy on the outbreak of war with Germany in June 1941. The Fleet gave a credible account of itself as it fought alongside the Red Army during the Siege of Odessa and the Battle of Sevastopol.[3] (See Black Sea Campaigns (1941–44) for more details.)

In 1952, Turkey decided to join NATO, placing the Bosporus Strait in the Western sphere of influence. Together with the advent of long-range nuclear weapons, this dramatically decreased the strategic value of any naval activity in the Black Sea.

In the later post-war period, along with the Northern Fleet, the Black Sea Fleet provided ships for the 5th Operational Squadron in the Mediterranean, which confronted the United States Navy during the Arab-Israeli wars, notably during the Yom Kippur War in 1973.[4]

Monument to Heroes of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet Squadron 1941–1944 in Sevastopol, featuring the list of 28 military ships that distinguished themselves in battles with Nazi invaders

In 1988 Coastal Troops and Naval Aviation units of the Black Sea Fleet included:[5]

In 1989, the 126th Motor Rifle Division at Simferopol was transferred to the Black Sea Fleet from the Odessa Military District. Also that year, the 119th Fighter Aviation Division, with the 86th Guards, 161st, and 841st Guards Fighter Aviation Regiments, joined the Fleet from the 5th Air Army.[7] The 86th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment became part of the Moldovan Air Force upon the breakup of the Soviet Union. The 841st at Meria airport (between Poti and Batumi in the Adjar ASSR) (Georgian SSR) became the 841st independent Guards Anti-Submarine Helicopter Regiment in May 1991 and was disbanded in October 1992.[8]

After the fall of the Soviet Union

The military importance of the fleet has degraded since the collapse of the Soviet Union, due to significant funding cuts and, to a degree, the loss of its major missions. However, in the early 21st century, local conflicts in the Caucasus region (particularly the 2008 South Ossetia war) saw Moscow employ elements of the Black Sea Fleet off the coast of Georgia, and the development of oil transit in the region has strengthen Russia's support of the fleet.

In 1992, the major part of the personnel, armaments and coastal facilities of the Fleet fell under formal jurisdiction of the newly independent Ukraine as they were situated on Ukrainian territory. Later, the Ukrainian government ordered the establishment of its own Ukrainian Navy based on the Black Sea Fleet; several ships and ground formations declared themselves Ukrainian.

However, this immediately led to conflicts with the majority of officers who appeared to be loyal to Russia. Simultaneously, pro-Russian separatist groups became active in the local politics of Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Sevastopol municipality where the major naval bases were situated, and started coordinating their efforts with pro-Moscow seamen.

Joint Fleet and its partition

To ease the tensions, the two governments signed an interim treaty, establishing a joint Russo-Ukrainian Black Sea Fleet under bilateral command (and Soviet Navy flag) until a full-scale partition agreement could be reached. Formally, the Fleet's Commander was to be appointed by a joint order of the two countries' Presidents. However, Russia still dominated the Fleet unofficially, and a Russian admiral was appointed as Commander; the majority of the fleet personnel adopted Russian citizenship. Minor tensions between the Fleet and the new Ukrainian Navy (such as electricity cut-offs and sailors' street-fighting) continued.

Some major ships (including the flagship) of the Soviet and Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, August 2007

In 1997, Russia and Ukraine signed the Partition Treaty, establishing two independent national fleets and dividing armaments and bases between them.[9] Ukraine also agreed to lease major parts of its facilities to the Russian Black Sea Fleet until 2017.[10] However, the treaty appeared to be far from perfect: permanent tensions on the lease details (including often reported issue of lighthouses) control continued. The Fleet's main base is still situated in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol. In 2009 the Yushchenko Ukrainian government declared that the lease would not be extended and that the fleet would have to leave Sevastopol by 2017.[11] In 2010 the Russian leasehold was renegotiated with an extension until 2042 and an option for an additional five years until 2047.

Georgia in the Fleet partition

The newly independent nation of Georgia, which also hosted several bases of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet when it was the Georgian SSR, also claimed a share of the Fleet, including 32 naval vessels formerly stationed at Georgia's Black Sea port of Poti. Not a CIS member at that time, Georgia was not, however, included in the initial negotiations in January 1992. Additionally, some low-importance bases situated in the Russian-backed breakaway autonomy of Abkhazia soon escaped any Georgian control. In 1996, Georgia resumed its demands, and the Russian refusal to allot Georgia a portion of the ex-Soviet navy became another bone of contention in the progressively deteriorating Georgian-Russian relations. This time, Ukraine endorsed Tbilisi's claims, turning over several patrol boats to the Georgian Navy and starting to train Georgian crews, but was unable to include in the final fleet deal a transfer of the formerly Poti-based vessels to Georgia.[12] Later, the rest of the Georgian share was decided to be ceded to Russia in return for diminution of debt.

Since the 2008 South Ossetia war the Russian Black Sea Fleet has not taken part in any joint naval exercises involving Georgian warships.[13] However, such a statement has little meaning since the Georgian Navy has ceased to exist (early 2009 it was merged with the Georgian coast guard).[14]

Russia is a member of the Black Sea Naval Co-operation Task Group usually referred to as BLACKSEAFOR.

Combat operations

Russia employed part of the fleet during the 2008 Georgian conflict. Russian units operating off Georgia's separatist Abkhazia region resulted in a reported skirmish with the Georgian Navy unconfirmed by Georgia. As a result, Ukraine's then President Viktor Yushchenko decreed that the Black Sea Fleet would henceforth need permission to cross the Ukrainian border to enter and leave to Sevastopol,[15] to which a Russian admiral retorted that the President of the Russian Federation and not Ukraine commands the Black Sea Fleet. Yushchenko's decrees[15] were without force and deployed units of the Russian Black Sea Fleet returned to their home moorings without incident.

Black Sea Fleet and Ukraine

In a letter to then Russian president Medvedev, former pro-NATO president Yushchenko complained about alleged "infringements of bilateral agreements and Ukrainian legislation"[16]

Vladimir Putin with Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma on board the Black Sea Fleet's flagship, July 2001

In 2009, Ukraine government announced the lease of Russian naval bases on the Crimea will not be extended beyond 2017,[17][18] in response the Russian Black Fleet initiated the expansion of its base in Novorossiysk. In July 2007, the Navy Commander announced that the new base will be ready in 2012.[19] Under the 1997 bilateral treaty, Russia paid $98 million annually and the treaty provided for an extension by mutual agreement. Russian officials repeatedly said they would like to extend the lease.[20][21]

In June 2009, the head of the Ukrainian Security Service said that after December 13, 2009, all officers from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) represented at the (Russian) Black Sea Fleet must leave Ukraine, from then the Security Service of Ukraine will ensure the security of the (Russian) Black Sea Fleet and Russian sailors on Ukrainian territory.[22] According to the Russian Foreign Ministry the employees of the FSB, who are working at the Black Sea Fleet facilities, are staying on the Ukrainian territory "in line with bilateral agreements".[23]

In October–November 2009, the (Russian) Black Sea Fleet complained about illegal inspection of (non-boat) transport vehicles owned by the fleet by the Sevastopol State Auto Inspectorate and Ukrainian security officers, calling them "disrespect for the status of the Russian military units and an unfriendly step aimed at worsening the Russian-Ukrainian relations".[24][25]

On April 21, 2010, Ukrainian President Yanukovych and Russian President Medvedev reached an agreement whereby the Russian lease on naval facilities in Crimea would be extended beyond 2017 by 25 years with an additional 5-year renewal option (to 2042–47) in exchange for a multiyear discounted contract to provide Ukraine with Russian natural gas.[26][27][28] This deal is controversial in Ukraine.[29][30][31][32][33]

Joint exercises of the Ukrainian Navy and the (Russian) Black Sea Fleet might have been resumed after a seven-year interval in June 2010.[34]

In 2010, based on an agreement between Ukrainian and Russian governments military counterintelligence officers from the Russian Federal Security Service returned to the (Russian) Black Sea Fleet base.[35]

While a Yushchenko administration minister said that Russia cannot unilaterally replace its Black Sea Fleet ships without Ukraine's consent,[36] the recent lease extension also revalidated the agreements of 1997. Those agreements stipulate that the Russian Black Sea Fleet can maintain the same numbers and types of ships that it had based in Sevastopol as a result of the 1997 fleet division without approval by Ukraine. This stipulation permits Russia to increase the current size of the fleet which has fallen below those numbers.[37]

As a result of the stance of the Ukrainian authorities, it was reported on 20 May 2013 that Russia would be concentrating on its new base in Novorossiysk and putting Sevastopol on hold as it upgrades the Black Sea Fleet. The Project-11356 frigate Admiral Grigorovich and the Project-636 submarines (Kilo class submarine) Novorossiysk and Rostov-na-Donu were expected to join the Fleet in 2014 and new moorings were being made ready for them at the base.[38]

Additions of ships to the Fleet

Repeated and sometimes contradictory announcements have been made claiming that new ships will join the fleet. On December 3, 2009, First Vice Mayor of Sevastopol Vladimir Kazarin stated that Russia's Black Sea Fleet could lose its combat capability, given a small number of ships and the absence of new ones.[39] Similar doubts had been stated by the Russian media. The Gazeta newspaper noted that, by 2015, the majority of the warships would no longer be fit for duty.[40]

In April 2010, Russian Navy sources said that up to four frigates and four diesel-electric submarines will be added to the Black Sea Fleet by 2015.[41] In June 2010, Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky announced that Russia was reviewing plans for the naval modernization of the Black Sea Fleet. The plans include 15 new warships and submarines by 2020.[42][43] These vessels will partially replace the reported decommissioning of Kerch, Ochakov (decommissioned in 2011 and sunk as a blockship in 2014), several large support ships, and a diesel-electric submarine.

Russian Navy Headquarters sources have said that, by 2020, six frigates of Project 22350 Gorshkov-class, six submarines of Project 677 Lada-class, two large landing ships of Project 11711 Ivan Gren-class and four class-unspecified ships will be delivered. Due to the obsolescence of the Beriev Be-12 by 2015, they will be replaced with Il-38s. Sukhoi Su-24M aircraft are planned to be upgraded to Su-24M2 at the same time.[44][45][46] However, the November 2011 suspension of the building of the second and third Lada-class boats throws this particular announcement into doubt.

The Project 636.3 (Kilo-class) diesel-electric submarine Novorossiysk — the first of three such new submarines, which was laid down at Admiralty Wharves Shipyard, St. Petersburg on August 20, 2010 — is destined to serve in the Black Sea Fleet.[47] Navy sources also say that Project 11356 Grigorovich-class frigate will be dispatched to the Black Sea.[48] The Admiral Grigorovich, the lead ship of the class, was laid down on December 18, 2010 and was expected to be in service 34 months from that date (October 2013). Three ships of this class are to be in service in the Black Sea Fleet before 2015.[49]

After the 2014 Crimean crisis, in which Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Ukrainian Navy were evicted from their bases and Ukraine subsequently withdrew its forces from Crimea,[50] Russia plans to integrate several vessels from the Ukrainian Navy into the Black Sea Fleet. According to sources from Black Sea Fleet Headquarters, inspections of all ships will be done by the end of 2014.[51]

Russia’s Black Sea Fleet was boosted by more than ten boats and support vessels after a forced pause, the Fleet’s Commander Adm. Alexander Vitko said ahead of the 2015 Navy Day. Speaking ahead of the nationwide festivities, Adm. Vitko said that, "For the first time in quite a long period, more than ten brand-new boats and support vessels have been accepted into service within one calendar year."[52] Totally, in 2015 the fleet received 15 new ships, including two submarines, two missile corvettes, seven counter-sabotage boats, support, rescue and auxiliary vessels.[53]

Crimean crisis

The Russian Black Sea Fleet's (BSF) use of leased facilities in Sevastopol and the Crimea was sometimes controversial. A number of incidents took place:

Fleet Commanders

# Rank Name Year
1 VADM Aleksey Fedotovich Klokachev 1783
2 VADM Yakov Filippovich Sukhotin 1784 – 1785
3 RADM Nikolay Semenovich Mordvinov 1785 – 1789
4 RADM Marko Ivanovich Voynovich 1789 – 1790
5 RADM Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov 1790 – 1792
# ADM Nikolay Semenovich Mordvinov 1792 – 1799
6 ADM Vilim Petrovich Fondezin 1799 – 1802
7 ADM Aleksandr Ivanovich deTravers 1802 – 1811
8 ADM Roman Romanovich Gall 1811
9 VADM Nikolay Lvovich Yazykov 1811 – 1816
10 ADM Aleksey Samuilovich Greig 1816 – 1833
11 ADM Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev 1834 – 1851
12 ADM Morits Borisovich Berg 1851 – 1855
13 VADM Nikolay Fedorovich Metlin Sep 1855 – Dec 1855
14 VADM Aleksandr Ivanovich Panfilov Jan 1856 – Aug 1856
15 RADM Grigoriy Ivanovich Butakov Aug 1856 – Jan 1860
16 VADM Bogdan Aleksandrovich Glazenap 1860 – Jan 1871
17 ADM Nikolay Andreyevich Arkas 1871 – 1881
18 ADM Mikhail Pavlovich Manganari 1881 – 1882
19 VADM Aleksey Alekseyevich Peshchurov 1882 – 1890
20 RADM Roman Andreevich Grenkvist 1890
21 VADM Nikolay Vasilyevich Kopytov 1891 – 1898
22 VADM Yevgeni Ivanovich Alekseyev 1898
23 VADM Sergey Petrovich Tyrtov 6 May 1898 – 1903
24 VADM Yakov Appolonovich Giltebrandt 1903
25 VADM Nikolay Illarionovich Skrydlov 1903 – 1904
26 VADM Aleksandr Khristianovich Kriger 1904
27 VADM Grigoriy Pavlovich Chukhnin 1904 – 1906
28 RADM Ivan Konstantinovich Grigorovich 1906
29 VADM Nikolay Illarionovich Skrydlov 1906 – 1907
30 RADM Genrikh Faddeevich Tsyvinskiy 1907
31 RADM Robert Nikolayevich Viren 1907 – 1908
32 VADM Ivan Fyodorovich Bostrem 1908 – 1909
33 VADM Vladimir Simonovich Sarnavskiy 1909 – 1911
34 VADM Ivan Fyodorovich Bostrem 1911
35 RADM Pavel Ivanovich Novitskiy 1911
36 VADM Andrey Avgustovich Ehbergard 1911 – Jun 1916
37 VADM Aleksandr Vasilyevich Kolchak Jun 1916 – Jun 1917
38 (Acting) RADM Veniamin Konstantinovich Lukin Jun 1917 – Jul 1917
39 RADM Aleksandr Vasilyevich Nemitts Jul 1917 – Dec 1917
40 RADM Mikhail Sablin 1918
41 Captain 1st Rank Aleksandr Ivanovich Tikhmenev 1918
42 Captain 1st Rank Aleksandr Ivanovich Sheykovskiy 1919
43 Captain 1st Rank Aleksey Vladimirovich Dombrovskiy May 1920 – Oct 1920
44 Senior Lieutenant Ehduard Samuilovich Pantserzhanskiy Nov 1920 – Nov 1921
45 VADM Andrey Semenovich Maksimov Nov 1921 – Jul 1922
46 Captain 2nd Rank Aleksandr Karlovich Vekman Jul 1922 – May 1924
47 Lieutenant Mikhail Vladimirovich Viktorov May 1924 – Dec 1924
48 Senior Lieutenant Ehduard Samuilovich Pantserzhanskiy Dec 1924 – Oct 1926
49 Warrant Officer Vladimir Mitrofanovich Orlov Oct 1926 – Jun 1931
50 Fleet Flag Officer 2nd Rank Ivan Kuz'mich Kozhanov Jun 1931 – Aug 1937
51 Fleet Flag Officer 2nd Rank Petr Ivanovich Smirnov-Svetlovskiy Aug 1937 – Dec 1937
52 Fleet Flag Officer 2nd Rank Ivan Stepanovich Yumashev 1938 – Mar 1939
53 VADM Filipp Sergeyevich Oktyabrskiy Mar 1939 – Apr 1943
54 VADM Lev Anatol'evich Vladimirskiy Apr 1943 – Mar 1944
55 VADM Filipp Sergeyevich Oktyabrskiy Mar 1944 – Nov 1948
56 ADM Nikolay Efremovich Basistyy Nov 1948 – Aug 1951
57 ADM Sergey Georgiyevich Gorshkov Aug 1951 – Jul 1955
58 VADM Viktor Aleksandrovich Parkhomenko Jul 1955 – Dec 1955
59 ADM Vladimir Afanasyevich Kasatonov Dec 1955 – Feb 1962
60 ADM Serafim Evgeniyevich Chursin Feb 1962 – Dec 1968
61 ADM Viktor Sergeyevich Sysoyev Dec 1968 – Mar 1974
62 ADM Nikolay Ivanovich Khovrin Mar 1974 – April 1983
63 ADM Aleksey Mikhailovich Kalinin Apr 1983 – Jul 1985
64 ADM Mikhail Nikolayevich Khronopulo Jul 1985 – Oct 1991
65 ADM Igor Vladimirovich Kasatonov Oct 1991 – Dec 1992
66 ADM Ehduard Dmitriyevich Baltin Dec 1992 – Feb 1996
67 ADM Viktor Andreyevich Kravchenko Feb 1996 – Jul 1998
68 ADM Vladimir Petrovich Komoyedov Jul 1998 – Oct 2002
69 ADM Vladimir Vasilyevich Masorin Oct 2002 – Feb 2005
70 ADM Aleksandr Arkadyevich Tatarinov Feb 2005 – Jul 2007
71 VADM Aleksandr Dmitrievich Kletskov Jul 2007 – Jul 2010
72 VADM Vladimir Ivanovich Korolev Jul 2010 – Jun 2011
73 VADM Aleksandr Nikolayevich Fedotenkov Jun 2011 – May 2013
74 ADM Aleksandr Viktorovich Vitko[60] 17 May 2013  – present

List of Black Sea Fleet warships

New ships included from Ukrainian Navy

In the 2014 Crimean crisis Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Ukrainian Navy were evicted from their bases and Ukraine subsequently withdrew its forces from Crimea.[50] Fifty-four out of sixty-seven ships of the Ukrainian Navy have been transferred to the Black Sea Fleet, with St. Andrew flags raised on them.[61] On 8 April 2014 an agreement was reached between Russia and Ukraine to return Ukrainian Navy materials to Ukraine proper.[62] A part of the Ukrainian Navy was then returned to Ukraine but Russia suspended this agreement after Ukraine did not renew its unilaterally declared ceasefire on 1 July 2014 in the conflict in the Donbass.[63] According to the fleet commander Aleksandr Vitko, this happened because the materials "would be used [by Ukraine] in fighting against its own people".[64]

30th Surface Ship Brigade

11th Anti-submarine Ship Division
# Type Name Class Year Status
121 Guided Missile Cruiser Moskva Slava 1983 Active, Fleet Flagship
810 Guided Missile Destroyer Smetlivyy Kashin 1969 Active
801 Guided Missile Frigate Ladnyy Krivak 1980 Active
808 Guided Missile Frigate Pytlivyy Krivak 1981 Active
745 Guided Missile Frigate Admiral Grigorovich Admiral Grigorovich 2016 Active [65]
751 Guided Missile Frigate Admiral Essen Admiral Grigorovich 2016 Active

247th Independent Submarine Division

# Type Name Class Year Base Status
554 Diesel Attack Submarine Alrosa (B-871) Kilo 877V 1990 Sevastopol Active, only Kilo class submarine with a pump-jet propulsion system.
555 Diesel Attack Submarine Novorossiysk (B-261) Improved Kilo 636.3 2014 Novorossiysk Active
556 Diesel Attack Submarine Rostov na donu (B-237) Improved Kilo 636.3 2014 Novorossiysk Active
557 Diesel Attack Submarine Staryy Oskol (B-262) Improved Kilo 636.3 2015 Novorossiysk Active[66]
558 Diesel Attack Submarine Krasnodar (B-265) Improved Kilo 636.3 2015 Novorossiysk Active[67]
559 Diesel Attack Submarine Velikiy Novgorod (B-268) Improved Kilo 636.3 2016 Novorossiysk Active[68]
560 Diesel Attack Submarine Kolpino (B-271) Improved Kilo 636.3 2016 Novorossiysk Active[69]

197th Assault Ship Brigade

# Type Name Class Year
152 Landing Ship Nikolay Filchenkov Alligator 1975
148 Landing Ship Orsk Alligator 1968
150 Landing Ship Saratov Alligator 1966
151 Landing Ship Azov Ropucha-II 1990
142 Landing Ship Novocherkassk Ropucha-I 1987
158 Landing Ship Caesar Kunikov Ropucha-I 1986
156 Landing Ship Yamal Ropucha-I 1988

68th Coastal Defense Ship Brigade

400th Antisubmarine Ship Division
# Type Name Class Year
059 ASW Corvette Alexandrovets Grisha I 1982
071 ASW Corvette Suzdalets Grisha III 1983
064 ASW Corvette Muromets Grisha III 1983
418th Minesweeper Division
# Type Name Class Year
913 Seagoing Minesweeper Kovrovets Natya I 1974
911 Seagoing Minesweeper Ivan Golubets Natya I 1973
912 Seagoing Minesweeper Turbinist Natya I 1972
909 Seagoing Minesweeper Vice Admiral Zhukov Natya I 1977

41st Missile Boat Brigade

166th Novorossiysk Small Missile Boat Division
# Type Name Class Year
615 Guided Missile Corvette Bora Dergach 1989
616 Guided Missile Corvette Samum Dergach 2000
620 Guided Missile Corvette Shtil Nanuchka-III 1979
617 Guided Missile Corvette Mirazh Nanuchka-III 1986
602 Guided Missile Corvette Zeleni Dol Buyan-M 2015
603 Guided Missile Corvette Serpuhov Buyan-M 2015
295th Sulinsk Missile Boat Division
# Type Name Class Year
962 Missile Boat R-71 Tarantul-II Mod 1985
955 Missile Boat R-60 Tarantul-III 1987
952 Missile Boat R-109 Tarantul-III 1991
953 Missile Boat R-239 Tarantul-III 1991
954 Missile Boat Ivanovets Tarantul-III 1988

184th Novorossiysk Coastal Defense Brigade

# Type Name Class Year
053 Small Antisubmarine Ship Povorino Grisha III 1989
054 Small Antisubmarine Ship Eysk Grisha-III 1987
055 Small Antisubmarine Ship Kasimov Grisha-III 1984
901 Seagoing Minesweeper Zheleznyakov Gorya-class 1988
770 Seagoing Minesweeper Valentin Pikul' Natya I Mod 2001
908 Seagoing Minesweeper Vice-Admiral Zakharin' Pr.02668 2009
426 Base Minesweeper Mineralnyye Vody Sonya-class 1990
438 Base Minesweeper Leytenant Ilyin Sonya-class 1982

Black Sea Naval Infantry and Coastal Missile-Artillery Forces

Black Sea Fleet Naval Air Force – HQ Sevastopol

Also, a squadron of Sukhoi Su-30SMs (2016).[72]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Altman, Jonathan (Winter 2016). "Russian A2/AD in the Eastern Mediterranean: A Growing Risk". Naval War College Review. Newport, Rhode Island: U.S. Naval War College. 69 (1): 72. ISSN 0028-1484.
  2. ↑ Black Sea Fleet (BSF) Morskoyo Flota (Naval Force). Globalsecurity.org.
  3. ↑ John Erickson, The Road to Stalingrad, Cassel Military Paperbacks, 2003, p.205
  4. ↑ On Airpower.org, Military Thought article on Soviet Mediterranean squadron air defence Archived July 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.. Retrieved May 30, 2008.
  5. ↑ Michael Holm, Red Banner Black Sea Fleet, accessed December 2012.
  6. ↑ Michael Holm, Navy (VMF) Aviation Regiments, accessed December 2012.
  7. ↑ Holm, Michael. "119th Nevelskaya Red Banner order of Suvorov Fighter Aviation Division". ww2.dk. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  8. ↑ The 841st Guards IAP was the former 66th Guards IAP. See ru:66-й гвардейский истребительный авиационный полк.
  9. ↑ Subtelny, Orest (2000). Ukraine: A History. University of Toronto Press. p. 600. ISBN 0-8020-8390-0.
  10. ↑ Krushelnycky, Askold (August 28, 2008). "Crimean peninsula could be the next South Ossetia". The Independent.
  11. ↑ No Russian fleet in Ukraine beyond 2017 -Ukrainian PM : Ukraine News by UNIAN. Unian.net (September 24, 2008).
  12. ↑ Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's (opt, mozilla, unix,english,,new) Newsline. Vol. 1, No. 42, Part I, May 30, 1997
  13. ↑ Russia's Black Sea Fleet rules out joint drills with Georgia, UNIAN (June 17, 2009)
  14. ↑ Navy to Merge with Coast Guard, FINANCIAL (December 3, 2008)
  15. 1 2 3 Kyiv obstructs Black Sea Fleet’s modernization, says Russian military official, Interfax-Ukraine (16 April 2013)
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 The Crimea: Europe's Next Flashpoint? Archived 2014-03-09 at the Wayback Machine., By Taras Kuzio, November 2010
  17. ↑ Russia denies naval bases report, BBC News (January 16, 2009)
  18. ↑ Yulia Tymoshenko: Russian Black Sea Fleet will not remain in Crimea, Personal web site of Yulia Tymoshenko (June 25, 2009)
  19. ↑ Moscow News – News – Russia's New Black Sea Base Complete by 2012 Archived July 15, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  20. ↑ Russia hopes to keep naval base in Ukraine, Reuters, (July 14, 2009)
  21. ↑ Russia fleet 'may leave Ukraine', BBC News, (October 18, 2008)
  22. ↑ All FSB officers working at Russian Black Sea Fleet must leave Ukraine –SBU, UNIAN (June 17, 2009)
  23. ↑ Russia says FSB to stay in Crimea, UNIAN (June 18, 2009)
  24. ↑ Black Sea Fleet: Black Sea Fleet concerned by checks by Ukrainian security agencies, Kyiv Post (October 14, 2009)
  25. ↑ Russian Black See Fleet slams Ukraine authorities over trucks incident, Kyiv Post (November 3, 2009)
  26. ↑ The Great Power (mis)Management by Alexander Astrov, Ashgate Publishing, 2011, ISBN 1409424677 (page 82)
  27. ↑ ITAR-TASS 21.04.2010 17:13
  28. ↑ Deal Struck on Gas, Black Sea Fleet, The Moscow Times (April 21, 2010)
  29. ↑ Russia, Ukraine agree on naval-base-for-gas deal, CNN (April 21, 2010)
  30. ↑ Our Ukraine: Yanukovych should be impeached, Kyiv Post (April 21, 2010)
  31. ↑ Ukrainian parliament ratifies agreement extending Russian Black Sea Fleet's presence in Crimea, Kyiv Post (April 27, 2010)
  32. ↑ Oppositional deputies throw eggs in Lytvyn, Kyiv Post (April 27, 2010)
  33. ↑ Police clash with protesters in front of Ukrainian parliament, Kyiv Post (April 27, 2010)
  34. ↑ "Russia and Ukraine resume joint naval exercises". Voice of Russia. April 16, 2010. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  35. ↑ Russian counterintelligence officers to return to Sevastopol, Kyiv Post (May 12, 2010)
  36. ↑ Ukrainian minister: Russia cannot unilaterally replace Black Sea Fleet ships, Kyiv Post (April 28, 2010)
  37. ↑ Russia-Ukraine Agreement on the Division of the Black Sea Fleet, May 1977
  38. ↑ Interfax-AVN military news agency, Moscow, 0740 GMT 20 May 13
  39. ↑ Sevastopol official: Black Sea Fleet risks to lose combat capability by 2017, Kyiv Post (December 3, 2009)
  40. ↑ Russia's Black Sea Fleet may lose all warships by 2015. RIA Novosti.
  41. ↑ Globalsecurity.org, Russia plans to upgrade Black Sea Fleet with new warships, April 13, 2010
  42. ↑ Russian Black Sea Fleet to receive 15 new combat vessels by 2020. RIA Novosti. (June 23, 2010).
  43. ↑ Russia admits it needs to modernize its Navy". RIA Novosti. (June 25, 2010).
  44. 1 2 Черноморская противолодочная авиация оказалась под угрозой исчезновения. Flot.com (October 20, 2010).
  45. 1 2 Black Sea Fleet to get 18 new warships and renew naval aviation till 2020. Rusnavy.com (October 25, 2010).
  46. ↑ A general criticized Black Sea Fleet aviation. Rusnavy.com (October 27, 2010).
  47. ↑ Проект 636. Deepstorm.ru.
  48. ↑ One can fire at any target from the Black Sea – BSF ex-commander. Rusnavy.com.
  49. ↑ "RIA Novosti: a new frigate is laid down in Kaliningrad for the Russian Navy (in Russian)". RIA Novosti. December 18, 2010.
  50. 1 2 "Ukraine 'preparing withdrawal of troops from Crimea'". BBC News. 2014-03-19. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  51. ↑ "Inspection of Ukrainian Ships Entering Russia’s Black Sea Fleet To Be Done by Year’s End | Defense | RIA Novosti". En.ria.ru. 2014-03-27. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  52. ↑ http://sputniknews.com/russia/20150726/1025053147.html
  53. ↑ http://www.armstrade.org/includes/periodics/news/2016/0110/120032985/detail.shtml
  54. ↑ "The owner of the "sarych" lighthouse came back with a blank document to the President of Ukraine". CPCFPU (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved February 24, 2007.
  55. ↑ "Access to Ukrainians is prohibited.". Zakryta Zona (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on March 10, 2007. Retrieved February 24, 2007.
  56. ↑ ""Sarych" was surrounded with a barbed wire and had a Russian flag flying above it". Korrespondent (in Ukrainian). February 10, 2006. Archived from the original on October 18, 2007.
  57. ↑ Ukraine drifts further from NATO as president sacks Navy chief — RT Archived May 9, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.. Rt.com.
  58. ↑ UNIAN
  59. ↑ Ukrainian officials attempt seizure of Russian Black Sea Fleet property — RT. Rt.com.
  60. ↑ Interfax-AVN, Moscow, 0903GMT 15 May 13
  61. ↑ "ITAR-TASS: Russia - Russian state flags raised over most of Ukrainian mil units, ships in Crimea". En.itar-tass.com. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
  62. ↑ Russia begins returning Ukraine naval vessels and aircraft, Jane's Defence Weekly (12 April 2014)
  63. ↑ http://korrespondent.net/ukraine/politics/3401903-korrespondent-na-malenkom-flotu-na-chto-seichas-sposobny-ostatky-ukraynskoho-flota
  64. ↑ (in Ukrainian) Holiday without brother: Sevastopol celebrated Navy Day, BBC Ukrainian (28 July 2014)
  65. ↑ http://www.i-mash.ru/news/nov_predpr/77299-psz-jantar-sdal-admirala-grigorovicha.html
  66. ↑ http://bmpd.livejournal.com/1996168.html%5B%5D
  67. ↑ Sharkov, Damien (31 May 2017). "Russia Fires Underwater Cruise Missiles at ISIS near Palmyra". . Newsweek. Retrieved 3 June 2017. The Russian frigate Admiral Essen and the submarine Krasnodar fired four Kalibr missiles towards Palmyra, the Russian Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday, state news agency RIA Novosti announced. External link in |website= (help)
  68. ↑ http://admship.ru/?p=9553&lang=en
  69. ↑ http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/news/defence-news/2016/november-2016-navy-naval-forces-defense-industry-technology-maritime-security-global-news/4609-sixth-project-636-3-ssk-submarine-kolpino-handed-over-to-the-russian-navy-black-sea-fleet.html
  70. ↑ Third Bastion missile system has been delivered to Black Sea Fleet. Rusnavy.com (January 19, 2011).
  71. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-01-16. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  72. ↑ http://sputniknews.com/russia/20160129/1033917304/russia-crimea-warplanes.html

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