NATO - The Ukraine
Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2022 10:13 pm
Russian Navy adds to pressure on Ukraine and NATO
There is growing concern that another Russian invasion of Ukraine is imminent. Here we look at the naval dimension of the Russian military build-up and the implications for NATO navies.
In the last week of January, the Russian Ministry of defence announced a surge of 140 warships and support vessels, 60 aircraft and a total of 10,000 personnel were participating in simultaneous naval exercises. This level of activity is unprecedented since the Cold War and involves deployments by units from the Northern, Baltic and Black Sea and Pacific Fleets. The activity is designed to signal Russia’s ability to threaten Europe in various ways and to further concentrate amphibious forces in the Black Sea, potentially to strike Ukraine’s southern flank.
Littoral manoeuvre in the Black Sea
In mid-January, the first significant moves were made when Russian landing ships began journeys to the Mediterranean. Two elderly Ropucha-class assault ships, RFS Olenegorskiy Gornyak and RFS Georgiy Pobedonosets together with the modern RFS Pyotr Morgunov sailed from their Northern Fleet base. Three more Ropuchas, RFS Korolev, RFS Minsk, and RFS Kaliningrad sailed from the Baltic and were shadowed on passage through the English Channel by NATO ships including HMS Dragon and HMS Tyne. All six have subsequently passed east through the Strait of Gibraltar and are likely to conduct exercises in the Mediterranean. Their ultimate destination is probably Sevastapol where they will increase the amphibious capability of the Black Sea Fleet.
The arrival of these 6 modest sized vessels will raise the number of troops that could be delivered in the first wave of an assault from about two battalion tactical groups (BTG) to three and a half reinforced BTGs (a BTG numbers around 800 troops). Any amphibious assault is risky but they provide commanders with a range of options and will create uncertainty in the mind of the defending Ukrainians, tying down resources that could be used elsewhere. With troops concentrations which total around 100,000 just across the northern border in Belarus and to the east in Russia, Ukraine may soon have to contend with assault ships menacing its coastline.
Continues at - https://www.navylookout.com/russian-nav ... -and-nato/
There is growing concern that another Russian invasion of Ukraine is imminent. Here we look at the naval dimension of the Russian military build-up and the implications for NATO navies.
In the last week of January, the Russian Ministry of defence announced a surge of 140 warships and support vessels, 60 aircraft and a total of 10,000 personnel were participating in simultaneous naval exercises. This level of activity is unprecedented since the Cold War and involves deployments by units from the Northern, Baltic and Black Sea and Pacific Fleets. The activity is designed to signal Russia’s ability to threaten Europe in various ways and to further concentrate amphibious forces in the Black Sea, potentially to strike Ukraine’s southern flank.
Littoral manoeuvre in the Black Sea
In mid-January, the first significant moves were made when Russian landing ships began journeys to the Mediterranean. Two elderly Ropucha-class assault ships, RFS Olenegorskiy Gornyak and RFS Georgiy Pobedonosets together with the modern RFS Pyotr Morgunov sailed from their Northern Fleet base. Three more Ropuchas, RFS Korolev, RFS Minsk, and RFS Kaliningrad sailed from the Baltic and were shadowed on passage through the English Channel by NATO ships including HMS Dragon and HMS Tyne. All six have subsequently passed east through the Strait of Gibraltar and are likely to conduct exercises in the Mediterranean. Their ultimate destination is probably Sevastapol where they will increase the amphibious capability of the Black Sea Fleet.
The arrival of these 6 modest sized vessels will raise the number of troops that could be delivered in the first wave of an assault from about two battalion tactical groups (BTG) to three and a half reinforced BTGs (a BTG numbers around 800 troops). Any amphibious assault is risky but they provide commanders with a range of options and will create uncertainty in the mind of the defending Ukrainians, tying down resources that could be used elsewhere. With troops concentrations which total around 100,000 just across the northern border in Belarus and to the east in Russia, Ukraine may soon have to contend with assault ships menacing its coastline.
Continues at - https://www.navylookout.com/russian-nav ... -and-nato/