Category: Security policy

Russian naval activities - not only in the Black Sea

With its increased naval presence in the Black Sea, Russia now almost completely surrounds Ukraine, including the previously existing gap in the south. What do these increased naval movements mean? Are they related to the Ukraine crisis? To get a picture of the situation, it is worth taking a look at announcements made by the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, for example via the Internet and Twitter. Moscow's global naval ballet The Russian news agency Tass reported on 20 January, citing the Moscow Ministry of Defence, that the Russian Navy will conduct a series of naval exercises in all 'areas of responsibility of the fleets' in January and February. The exercises are in connection with the training plan...

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Russian Navy restricts shipping in the Black Sea

Areas closed for firing exercises The Russian Navy has announced exercise areas for a large part of the Black Sea and most of the Sea of Azov, effectively restricting shipping to Ukrainian commercial ports. Commercial shipping and air traffic are advised to avoid the designated areas from 13 to 19 February. One area covers the northern entrance to the Kerch Strait, which could cut off Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov from shipping for the duration of the exercise. This includes the harbours of Mariupol, Berdyansk and Henichesk. Russia has closed the strait in the past due to...

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USA offers Aegis offshore inspections to Russians

Transparency to reduce tensions in Ukraine. To ease tensions over Russia's military build-up in Ukraine, NATO and US negotiators have offered Moscow the opportunity to inspect two ballistic missile defence sites to prove that the alliance has not deployed offensive missiles. (marineforum reported several times). In return for the insight into the Aegis Ashore sites in Romania and Poland, Moscow is expected to offer similar transparency for two ground-based missile defence bases selected by the US. The US clarifies that no Tomahawk land-based missiles are deployed. Both sites have the same aerial reconnaissance radar and Mk-41 vertical launch system as...

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Tonga without connection

Marineforum reported on 21 January about the damaged submarine cable on Tonga - an example of critical infrastructure. And now the repair by the specialised ship has been delayed. However, it will only arrive there in a week's time and the repairs cannot begin before then. Who lays important telecommunications infrastructure where in the South Pacific is also a geopolitical question. The hope for the special ship "Reliance" is also the hope of having Internet access again soon. The connection has been interrupted since the eruption of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano on 15 January. Tonga was completely cut off from the outside world for several days, but telephone calls via satellite are now possible again. But what the satellite...

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