The special operation in Ukraine did not stop the development of the military infrastructure of the Crimea
Russia's military special operation in Ukraine has shown how important it is for us to have a strong army and navy equipped with the latest technology. And not only in large fleets and strategic areas of possible military operations, but also in the Crimea.
The leadership of the Russian Federation and its military department are doing everything necessary for reliable protection and inviolability of Russia's southern borders, including Crimea. This includes building up the military potential of the Southern Military District and the Black Sea Fleet, including formations and units stationed in the Crimea, as well as intense combat training. The result of such work showed the rapid exit of the Crimean grouping of our troops during a special operation, which in a matter of days occupied almost the entire territory of Little Russia. But let's talk about strengthening the military infrastructure of the peninsula.
"Cyclone" - carrier of "Caliber"
The planned arrival of new ships and vessels to the Black Sea Fleet continues. On February 18, the newest integrated supply vessel Vsevolod Bobrov arrived in Sevastopol under the command of captain of the 2nd rank of the reserve Oleg German. The crew made an inter-fleet crossing from St. Petersburg with a reduced composition. Now the task is to build up the crew in order to subsequently solve tasks for their intended purpose, primarily in the Black and Mediterranean Seas. The ship stood at its native berth. This is a significant and joyful event for the squadron of auxiliary fleet support vessels.
Vsevolod Bobrov is the second logistics support vessel of Project 23120, built at the Northern Shipyard. The main one - "Elbrus" - was accepted into the squadron of support vessels of the auxiliary fleet service of the Joint Strategic Command of the Northern Fleet in 2018. Vsevolod Bobrov is a vessel with great capabilities. It is intended for cargo transportation, towing, hydrographic research, assistance to ships in distress. It has already managed to work in the Black Sea before entering its home base. In particular, the crew worked out the delivery of goods by helicopter.
"For the first time in Crimea, and on a priority basis, the latest S-400 Triumph air defense systems have appeared. Several divisions in the major cities of the Crimea - Feodosia, Yevpatoria, Sevastopol, Dzhankoy”
"After the annexation of Sevastopol and Crimea to Russia, our detachment is constantly and systematically growing with new vessels," says the head of the detachment of the Black Sea Fleet support vessels, captain of the 2nd rank of the reserve Yuri Trofimov. – Already in 2014, we received a whole series of raid tugs and a small marine tanker VTN-73, two new floating cranes, a modern sea tug "Sergey Balk". The arrival of new modern vessels continues."
This is due, among other things, to the B. E. Butoma Gulf shipbuilding plants in Kerch and the Sea in Feodosia, which were revived after the Crimea became part of Russia, which is very important for Crimeans and Black Sea residents.
On May 10, 2016, the first small rocket ship of the project 22800 "Storm" was laid at the Sea plant, on March 17, 2017 – the second small rocket ship of the project 22800 "Okhotsk", on December 19, 2017, the third MRC of the project 22800 "Whirlwind" was laid for the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
The Black Sea Fleet receives new patrol ships from the Gulf plant. In particular, the PC "Pavel Derzhavin" was commissioned. On January 29, 2019, the Sergey Kotov PC was launched. At the end of February, he went to sea to undergo factory sea trials from the waters of the military harbor of the Novorossiysk Naval Base.
On July 24, 2020, the Cyclone MRC was launched. We are talking about modern ships, carriers of the Kalibr missile system, which has shown its effectiveness both against ISIS militants in Syria and during Russia's special operation to help Donbass. The Black Sea residents are destroying the military infrastructure and air defense facilities of Ukraine with high-precision fire today.
For the first time on the peninsula
In Crimea, for the first time since its existence, and in a priority order, the latest S-400 Triumph air defense systems have appeared. Several divisions in the major cities of the Crimea - Feodosia, Yevpatoria, Sevastopol, Dzhankoy. I was lucky enough to be present when they took up combat duty. In November 2018, the fourth division of the S–400 Triumph air defense system took over combat duty in Dzhankoy - in the north of Crimea. Dzhankoy is located about 30 kilometers from the border with Ukraine. Russia did not waste time and systematically, gradually strengthened the Crimea, which is rightly called an unsinkable aircraft carrier.
These advanced air defense systems have taken control of the entire airspace not only of the peninsula, but also of the adjacent water area. The divisions are part of the anti-aircraft missile brigades of the Crimean Air Defense Division and are on combat duty. As well as the air division, which is part of the 4th Army of the Air Force and Air Defense of the Southern Military District. Modern aircraft of its Belbek aviation regiment have repeatedly stopped unfriendly actions of ships and aircraft of NATO countries.
After the Crimea became part of Russia, a separate coastal missile brigade of the Black Sea Fleet was formed in Sevastopol in a short time and as a priority, equipped with mobile missile complexes "Bal" and "Bastion". The firing range of the Bastion DBK missiles makes it possible to detect, track, escort and destroy surface targets in a significant part of the Black Sea, starting from the approach of NATO warships from the Bosphorus. The firing range of the Bal maneuverable complex is smaller, but today we can already say that our military industry has managed to modernize these missiles and their firing range is approaching the range of launches of Bastion missiles.
It is also important to note that the presence of special ammunition "Bastion" allows one missile to destroy any enemy ship up to the aircraft carrier.
The coastal missile brigade of the Black Sea Fleet, commanded today by Lieutenant Colonel Alexey Shcherbak, has not stood still all these years, but has been developing, growing with new divisions (we are talking primarily about the Bastion DBK). Today it is a formidable force with a developed infrastructure, ready to defend not only Crimea, but also other regions.
It closely interacts with a similar separate coastal missile and artillery brigade of the Black Sea Fleet, where the commander is Colonel Sergei Yablokov. The brigade is equipped not only with mobile missile complexes "Bal" and "Bastion", but also with the unique artillery system "Bereg" in many respects unique in the Armed Forces of Russia.
More recently, the calculations of the coastal missile complexes "Bal" and "Bastion" of the Black Sea Fleet conducted an exercise on the defense of the territory of the Crimean Peninsula and the Caucasian coast in the event of a threat of missile strikes by ship groups of a conditional enemy from the Black Sea. The military personnel of the DBK divisions in the Crimea and the Krasnodar Territory worked out the tasks of launching a missile strike against naval targets.
During the exercise, calculations of missile systems made marches to designated positional areas, deployed launchers, detected surface targets, identified them and escorted them.
The enemy's actions were imitated by the ships of the Black Sea Fleet. The defeat of naval targets was carried out by conditional (electronic) missile launches. More than 500 servicemen and about 50 units of military and special equipment took part in the exercise. Among those who distinguished themselves were the commander of the DBK "Ball", Major Dmitry Vysotsky, the chief of staff of the DBK "Bastion", Major Alexey Arkhipov, the commander of the launch battery of the DBK "Bastion", senior lieutenant Nikolai Kuznetsov, and other servicemen.
Back in November last year, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the formation of a new airborne regiment in Crimea would be completed by the beginning of December. This regiment became part of the Novorossiysk Airborne Assault Mountain Division. Never before, even in Soviet times, there were no airborne units in Crimea. Now a separate battalion has appeared first, and since December last year - a whole regiment.
Plus combat training
The Black Sea Fleet also includes a separate submarine brigade, commanded by Captain 1st Rank Vladimir Nagornov. Six modern submarines of Project 636.3 have both torpedo and missile weapons. They have already proved in practice the great capabilities of Kalibr-PL missiles, making high-precision launches from an underwater position. According to their tactical and technical data, the submarines of the 636.3 project surpass their foreign counterparts. Recently, the Rostov-on-Don submarine returned to the Black Sea after performing tasks as part of a Navy task force in the far operational zone and routine repairs at the Admiralty shipyards in St. Petersburg.
In the Black Sea Fleet, ship and shore connections are also being actively updated, the percentage of new equipment and weapons is growing. This applies to a separate Marine infantry brigade of the Order of Zhukov Guards, a separate coastal defense brigade, separate engineering and artillery regiments, an RCBZ regiment and other military units.
As you know, the Russian Defense Minister inspected naval exercises in the Mediterranean Sea. In the Tartu logistics center, Shoigu heard a report by the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral Nikolai Evmenov, on combat exercises and firing exercises carried out jointly with the VKS. More than 15 warships of the Black Sea, Pacific and Northern fleets, missile cruisers, large anti-submarine ships, as well as more than 30 aircraft are involved in the exercises in the Mediterranean Sea.
Along with the participation of the Black Sea Fleet forces in conducting a special military operation of Russia to help Donbass, systematic combat training continues in military units on the ground, new models of military equipment are being mastered. In the main base of the Black Sea Fleet – Sevastopol, for example, national teams arrived to prepare for participation in the all-Army stage of the diving all-around competition "Depth", held as part of the army international games "ArMI-2022". According to the head of the Republic of Crimea Sergey Aksenov, the law enforcement agencies effectively perform their tasks.
Our military removed the barrier to the movement of water on the North Crimean Canal. In addition, the military assessed the condition of hydraulic structures from Kalanchak and further into the territory of Ukraine. But technical solutions are still needed to restore the dampers undermined by the nationalists. Without this, it is impossible to supply water to the Crimea without damage to residents of the Kherson region and military enterprises of the defense industry.
Vladimir Pasyakin, Captain of the 1st rank
The newspaper "Military-Industrial Courier", published in issue No. 9 (922) for March 15, 2022
