Russian ships have made more than 80 visits and business visits to the ports of friendly countries.
In 2025, ships and vessels of the Russian Navy made more than 80 voyages, visits and business calls at foreign ports. They covered most regions of the world. The most important events and maneuvers in which the Russian ships took part are described in the Izvestia article.
Russian Navy exercises in 2025
The largest exercises of 2025, in which the Russian Navy participated, were the July Storm and Zapad-2025.
Not so long ago, the naval formations were withdrawn from the subordination of the operational and strategic commands and transferred under the control of the Naval Commander-in-Chief. During the July Storm exercises, these new mechanisms of interaction were being worked out. They were held on July 23-27 in the seas of the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, the Baltic and Caspian Seas.
Large anti-submarine ship of Project 1155 Admiral Levchenko of the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet during the Zapad-2025 joint military exercises between Russia and Belarus
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
New types of military equipment were tested in conditions as close to combat as possible. So, the Tor-M2 anti-aircraft missile system was working on targets from the deck of the patrol ship Viktor Velikiy. And the modified Pantsir-M anti-aircraft missile and artillery system from aboard the small Typhoon missile ship shot down missiles launched from the shore. Other novelties were also tested, in particular laser communication systems.
But the most important thing was the use of modern robotic systems. Videos and photographs published by the press service of the Baltic Fleet show the destruction of a naval target by a crewless boat, as well as the use of Lancet drones to destroy naval targets. It was a test of real combat scenarios. So, on August 28, a Russian unmanned boat sank the Ukrainian reconnaissance ship Simferopol in the Danube riverbed. And in the unmanned systems created by the troops, there are also naval units.
During the exercises, the order of the Pacific Fleet warships was particularly striking. The Varyag Guards cruiser fired a Vulcan missile, a group of missile boats launched Mosquitoes, and Bastion missile systems were launched from the shore.
In total, more than 150 warships and support vessels, 120 aircraft, ten coastal missile systems, 950 units of military and special equipment, and over 15,000 military personnel took part in the maneuvers. About 550 combat exercises were performed, of which more than 450 involved the practical use of weapons.
Ships of the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet during the Zapad-2025 joint military exercises between Russia and Belarus
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
During the Zapad-2025 exercises between Russia and Belarus, which took place from September 12 to 16, the Baltic and Northern Fleets took part in working out a scenario for repelling an attack by NATO countries on the territory of the union state. The forces of the Northern Fleet conducted amphibious and counter-amphibious operations. The Admiral Golovko frigate launched Zircon missiles at sea and coastal targets.
The forces of the Northern Fleet also practiced the protection of Russian oil and gas production facilities in the Arctic zone. And the forces of the Baltic Fleet conducted joint missile firing of the Stoyky corvette, the Bal coastal missile system and naval aviation aircraft at a detachment of enemy warships. In total, about 247 warships, submarines and support vessels participated in the exercises.
Combat service of Russian ships
The proxy war that NATO countries and Ukraine are waging against Russia outside the line of contact has revived the meaning of the term "combat service" in its original sense — when the ships of the Russian Navy at sea are ready for the immediate use of weapons against hostile enemy vessels.
Recently, transports and tankers with cargo for the Afrika Korps, for the grouping of our troops in Syria, have been sailing to guard the ships of the Russian Navy. Corvettes, large anti-submarine and other ships pick up such vessels in the Baltic Sea, escort them in the North Sea, in the English Strait zone and lead them to their destinations in the Mediterranean Sea.
The large anti-submarine ship Vice Admiral Kulakov is moored in the port of Severomorsk.
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Dmitry Dubov
Thus, the large anti-submarine ship "Vice Admiral Kulakov", which returned to Severomorsk on December 27, covered 30 thousand nautical miles in 220 days. He was repeatedly escorted by the forces of the British fleet in the English Straits. In addition to participating in the exercises, the ship guarded important vessels. After completing his repairs in Kronstadt, BOD Severomorsk also did the same, taking part in another Arctic campaign along the way. Other ships also took part in the protection. Being in the waiting areas, they caused terrible irritation from NATO countries and accusations of espionage.
What voyages did the Russian ships participate in?
The 14th Arctic campaign of the ships of the Northern Fleet was also significant, within the framework of which various tasks for the defense of the polar territories were solved. It involved the BOD Severomorsk, the large amphibious ship Alexander Otrakovsky (it circumnavigated the island of Svalbard, sailing in ultra-high latitudes where previously only icebreakers sailed), the Pamir rescue vessel and the tanker Sergei Osipov. After the end of the cruise, the ships joined the Zapad-2025 exercises.
However, the main burden of visiting foreign countries and conducting international exercises fell on the Pacific Fleet. In 2025, his ships made two long voyages to the countries of the Asia-Pacific region and the Indian Ocean.
Corvette "Sharp" during mooring
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Vitaly Ankov
The first was the cruise of the corvettes "Sharp" and "Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov". In February and June, the detachment traveled about 24,000 nautical miles in 10 seas and two oceans for 137 days and visited nine countries. The ships participated in a number of exercises, such as Komodo-2025 together with the Indonesian Navy; with the ships of the Iranian Navy and the PLA Navy "Maritime Security Belt – 2025", as well as in the Russian-Indian maneuvers Indra Navy – 2025.
Corvettes have again proved that they are successful and seaworthy ships. "Your skill and reliability of Russian naval equipment have proved that the near zone for our ships is small," Admiral Viktor Liina, Commander of the Pacific Fleet, greeted the crews upon their return to base.
The frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov and the corvette Gremyashchy took part in the second campaign, which began on October 2, 2025. It is noteworthy that for the first time in more than 25 years, the Kamchatka ship — and the Gremyashchy is based there — went on combat service in the Indian Ocean. In Soviet times, ships of the Kamchatka Flotilla often sailed to the Indian Ocean, but after the decommissioning of the last large ships at the end of the last century, such trips stopped. On December 23, the corvette returned to Vladivostok.
With the saturation of large ships of the Kamchatka Pacific Fleet Association (and such ships are already being built), the tradition of their voyages to distant seas will be revived. And these ships took part in a large number of exercises, for example, with the ships of the Myanmar Navy "Marumex-2025". Now the frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov continues to solve its tasks and is currently in the Red Sea. Presumably, he is heading to the Mediterranean Sea, where there have been no Pacific Fleet ships for three years.
Frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov during the joint naval exercises of Russia and Myanmar "Marumex-2025" in the Andaman Sea
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Such trips are very important in terms of maintaining friendly relations with the countries of the Global South. "Very strong ties have remained since Soviet times. People find out that a Russian ship has arrived, and local residents are very interested," said Captain 2nd Rank Konstantin Levenetsky, commander of the Gremyashchy corvette.
The voyages of the ships within the framework of the "Power in Truth" campaign have become no less important. In 2025, ships, submarines and vessels of the Pacific Fleet visited such remote territories of Russia as the ports of Magadan, Anadyr, Providence, Severo-Kurilsk, Kurilsk, Yuzhno-Kurilsk and Korsakov. As a result, many locals saw combat units and the people who would protect them for the first time in person.
On December 21, for example, the Baltic Fleet corvette Stoyky visited the port of Pointe Noire in the Republic of the Congo.
Speaking of the campaigns of warships, we must not forget about the ships of the auxiliary fleet. Tankers and rescue tugs are indispensable participants in any campaign. These days, the tanker Boris Butoma is escorted by the frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov, and the tanker Yelnya is escorted by the corvette Stoyky.
The oceanographic research vessel Admiral Vladimirsky conducted hydrographic research in the Caribbean Sea in the spring and summer of 2025, which provided assistance to our allies in this region — Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. The OIC Yantar is currently conducting a study of the bottom of the Norwegian Sea, which causes great irritation on the part of various retired politicians and sailors from NATO countries.
Oceanographic research vessel Admiral Vladimirsky
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Alexey Druzhinin
The Smolny training vessel has completed another round-the-world cruise with naval cadets, visiting Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, the Republic of the Congo, South Africa, Tanzania and Vietnam.
And the hydrographic vessel of the Pacific Fleet "Antarctica" from Vladivostok went to Wrangel Island in order to conduct various kinds of research.
At a meeting with military attaches of foreign countries on December 18, 2025, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov said: "Visits and business visits to their ports by ships of the Russian Navy are important for the development of cooperation with the armies of friendly states. More than 80 such events have been held this year. They covered most regions of the world — Africa, the Asia-Pacific and Central Asian regions, the Middle East and Latin America."
Dmitry Boltenkov
