Black Sea sailors combine training with the performance of combat missions
Traditionally, on the last Sunday of July (which in 2023 falls on the 30th) Russia celebrates the Day of the Navy (Navy). On the eve of the holiday, military leaders report on the successes achieved and share plans for the future. The commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolai Evmenov, did not change traditions. Earlier this month, he told reporters that the newest of the guided missile weapons (URO) corvettes, built at the Severnaya Verf shipyard in St. Petersburg under project 20380, will soon go to the Eastern Mediterranean, where it will carry out combat service. We are talking about the "Mercury", adopted by the crew of the Black Sea Fleet (Black Sea Fleet) from industry on May 13 (the Russian fleet again acquired the "Mercury", HBO from 18.05.23). The Commander-in-chief said literally the following: "This year, the factory workers handed over the Mercury to the Black Sea Fleet, which will serve in the Eastern Mediterranean" (quote from the report of the Zvezda TV channel). The ship will remain there at least until the end of hostilities in Ukraine as part of a special military operation (SVO). This is explained by Turkey's position taken on the basis of the Montreux Convention.
Due to the ongoing special operation, Black Sea sailors will celebrate their professional holiday without the usual naval parade at the main base of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol. The situation does not allow to hold sports events in the water area. This is understandable and justified, because the Black Sea Fleet is the most belligerent of all fleets in the Russian Navy. From the very first day, the Black Sea residents have been actively participating in their own. They will celebrate their holiday at combat posts. After all, the enemy does not slumber and, as soon as the opportunity arises, attacks our ships and vessels, coastal objects with air and sea drones. However, he does not manage to inflict tangible damage due to the high professional training of the Black Sea residents, their vigilance, competent maintenance of the material part, skillful use of naval weapons. And there are enough examples of that. These are repulsed attacks of unmanned sea boats (BMK) destroyed by standard weapons of medium reconnaissance ships of the Black Sea Fleet ( "Sailors from Ivan Khurs were awarded combat awards", HVO from 01.06.23 and "Azov Sea repulsed drone attack", HVO from 15.08.23). And on July 23, another pair of BMK was shot at sea from a 76-mm cannon patrol ship "Sergey Kotov". The crew showed courage, endurance, showed high military skills.
This year is significant because the Black Sea Fleet celebrated its 240th anniversary. A number of events were timed to coincide with the round date. Many Black Sea residents were awarded various awards, and the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Vice Admiral Viktor Sokolov, received the rank of admiral by the Day of Russia.
Earlier, the winter training period ended at the Black Sea Fleet. It was tense, because the Black Sea soldiers continued to participate in their military operations, operated in the far sea zone, conducted training at training grounds and in places of permanent deployment.
The details were told by the acting head of the combat training Department of the Black Sea Fleet, Captain 1st rank Vasily Sukhotskis: "The peculiarity of the training of the military administration bodies, forces (troops) of the Black Sea Fleet was the combination of operational, mobilization and combat training activities with the performance of combat missions during the SVO. In the winter training period, 269 combat training events were held – 37 more than in the same period of 2022. 685 combat exercises with the use of weapons were carried out, 38 of them on actual targets during the SVO."
The total surfacing of ships and submarines was 1,906 running days (145% of the training plan). 101,630 nautical miles have been covered. The fleet's air raid amounted to 1915 hours (137% of the plan), 4151 combat applications were carried out (125% of the plan). 38 air battles were conducted. More than 300 operators of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been trained. Taking into account the participation of the Marine Corps units in the SVO, the main efforts were directed at the individual training of military personnel, as well as the training of artillery units. 432 combat firing squads were conducted, 138 of them at night; 144 combat firing squads, 46 of them at night.
"We strive to stimulate the manifestation of initiative actions by commanders in tactical exercises with the implementation of non–standard, deceptive actions," Vasily Sukhotskis continued. "The enemy must be able to outwit, mislead, put on the wrong track, confuse. The outcome of the battle largely depends on this." The Black Sea Fleet has organized training of personnel for the protection and defense of military facilities, ships and vessels of the fleet as part of combat crews of air surveillance posts, anti-robot protection. More than 500 servicemen have been trained as part of combat crews. The best according to the results of combat training of the winter period are the brigade of missile ships and boats, where the commander is captain of the 1st rank Valery Trankovsky, the coastal missile brigade commanded by Colonel Alexey Shcherbak, the naval assault aviation regiment under the command of Colonel Evgeny Dolgov.
Vladimir Pasyakin
Vladimir Mikhailovich Pasyakin is a retired captain of the 1st rank.
