Baltic Sea 'Hop and Go' of a Russian Navy task force

"Admiral Levchenko". Photo: Michael Nitz

The departure of three warships from the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet from the Baltic Sea before the St. Petersburg Navy Day, which came as a surprise to Western observers, is causing speculation. The nuclear-powered submarine "Tambov" (Victor III class), the Udaloy-class destroyer "Admiral Levchenko" and the landing ship "Ivan Green" left the Baltic Sea on 14 July, although their participation in the Russian Navy Day parade in St. Petersburg had been announced.

The submarine and the destroyer had previously been observed on 6 July, at that time accompanied by the ice-capable deep-sea tug "Nikolay Chiker", sailing southwards in the Great Belt. When the trio entered the western Baltic Sea, the support vessel made its way to a position east of the Shetland Islands. It is now outside the coastal waters off Ålesund in Norway. The following day, the two Northern Fleet landing ships "Ivan Gren" (type ship of the same class) and the "Kondopoga" of the Ropucha class entered the Baltic Sea.

The Victor III submarine "Tambov "2 Photo: Michael Nitz

TASS had announced the participation of units of the Northern Fleet, namely "Ivan Gren", "Tambov" and "Admiral Levchenko", in the Navy Day celebrations in St. Petersburg and Kronstadt. In addition, the submarines "Kazan" and "Kronstadt" as well as the combat icebreaker "Ivan Papanin" were also to be among the parade units. The "Kazan" K 561 is a nuclear-powered Yasen-M class submarine armed with cruise missiles. It was part of the group of four Russian units that visited Cuba and then Venezuela in June. The "Kronstadt" B 868 is a conventional Lada-class submarine (Project 677) that entered service in January 2024. The "Ivan Papanin" is the type ship of a new series of armed icebreakers and is currently undergoing trials.

The transit of these units in and out of the Baltic Sea was accompanied by the Danish Navy, the Swedish Navy and the Federal Police Sea.

St. Petersburg continues as usual

The announced relocation of the "Kazan" to the Baltic Sea has not yet been registered. At the time of publication of this article, the three short-term Baltic Sea visitors from the Northern Fleet were on a northerly course west of the Norwegian coast. Reasons for the apparently last-minute departure from the Baltic Sea were not made public.

"Ivan Gren". Photo: Michael Nitz

While speculation is rife about the supposed withdrawal of the "Ivan Gren", "Tambov" and "Admiral Levchenko", which are regarded as high-value units, preparations for the fleet parade are continuing as usual in St. Petersburg. Local media such as the online platform fontanka.ru are reporting on changed bridge opening times due to trial deployments, which indicates 'business as usual'. Photo galleries show the units "Grad" and "Naro Fominsk" of the Buyan-M class, the "Sovetsk" of the Karakurt class, the minesweeper "Aleksandr Obukhov" of the Alexandrit class, patrol boats (including the "Nakhimovets" of the Grachonok class), landing craft and other small units. In addition, the Steregushchiy-class corvette "Boikiy" is said to have arrived.

The ocean-going tug/icebreaker "Nikolay Chiker". Photo: Michael Nitz

Navy Day is a bank holiday in the Russian Federation that is traditionally celebrated on the last Sunday in July and on which the sailors of the Russian Navy and its special units are honoured. In 2024 it will be celebrated on 28 July. After Victory Day on 9 May, Russian Navy Day is the second highest military holiday in Russia. Since 2017, the central celebrations have been held in St. Petersburg as a naval parade of ships and flying units from the Baltic, Black Sea, Northern and Pacific Fleets as well as the Caspian Flotilla. Events are also held at other naval bases. Navy Day was originally introduced in 1696 and abolished by the Soviet Union in 1980. President Putin revived it.

Launching of the "Ivan Papanin" Photo: Admirality Shipyards

Ivan Papanin - a new class of ship

As construction number 1 of 2 of project 23550, the first of three planned units of a new ship class known as 'combat icebreakers' or ice-capable multi-purpose patrol vessels was launched at the Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg on 25 October 2019. The "Ivan Papanin" began sea trials at the end of June 2024. The 114 metre long, 18 metre wide, 8,500 tonne displacement ships can be used as patrol vessels, tugs or icebreakers (0.5 metre ice). Equipped with Kalibr-NK cruise missiles (ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore, ship-to-submarine) and with a 76.2 mm cannon (AK-176), two reception stations for Raptor speedboats and a helicopter hangar to accommodate a Ka-27 (both versions - SAR, submarine hunting). The use of UAVs should be possible.