by Andrew Osborn (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin calls improving the Russian navy’s combat capabilities a priority. The unfinished husks of three guided-missile frigates that have languished for three years at a Baltic shipyard show that is easier said than done. Earmarked for Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, the frigates fell victim to sanctions imposed by Ukraine in 2014 … [Read more...]
Russian Navy To Hold Drills Off Syria
by Tom Balmforth, Andrew Osborn (Reuters) - Russia will begin a major naval exercise in the Mediterranean on Saturday, the Ministry of Defense announced, a move the Kremlin said was justified by a failure to deal with militants in Syria’s Idlib province. Idlib and areas surrounding it are the last major enclave held by rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, … [Read more...]
Russian Navy Put On High Alert
by Anton Zverev (Reuters) - Sources close to the Russian military said on Thursday that Russian naval forces in the Black Sea had been put on heightened alert to discourage Ukraine from trying to disrupt the soccer World Cup as the tournament got under way. However, the Defence Ministry itself dismissed the reports, saying in a statement: “The forces … [Read more...]
How To Avoid A Naval Cold War In The High North
By James Stavridis (Bloomberg) In the classic Cold War novel (and fine 1965 film) "The Bedford Incident," a U.S. destroyer on a NATO mission tangles with a Soviet submarine in the frigid waters near the Arctic Circle. Mayhem ensues in a tautly described set of interactions that lead the world to the brink of nuclear war. Today, as we watch U.S. and Russia continue to … [Read more...]
Russian Warship Visits Manila As Duterte Tightens Ties With U.S. foes
by Manuel Mogato (Reuters) Russian navy vessels arrived in the Philippines on Thursday for joint exercises as part of a drive for new security ties under President Rodrigo Duterte's revamped foreign policy of courting the traditional foes of Manila's top ally, Washington. The guided-missile cruiser Varyag, accompanied by the fuel tanker ship, Pechenge, are on a four-day … [Read more...]