Ex-commander of the Baltic Fleet appointed deputy commander of the Navy
Ensuring the security of the Kaliningrad region and excluding provocations using air and sea drones will be one of the main tasks for the new command of the Baltic Fleet, experts interviewed by Izvestia said. On Monday, the Commander-in-chief of the Navy, Admiral Alexander Moiseev, introduced the new commander of the Baltic Fleet, Vice Admiral Sergei Lipilin. According to sources of Izvestia, personnel changes in the leadership are associated with the resignation of the chief of the General Staff of the Navy, Admiral Alexander Nosatov.
Why have there been personnel changes in the fleet
There have been personnel changes in the leadership of the Russian Navy. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, on Monday, the Commander-in-chief of the Navy, Admiral Alexander Moiseev, introduced the new commander of the Baltic Fleet, Vice Admiral Sergei Lipilin, who previously held the position of chief of Staff of the BF. The commander-in-chief handed him the commander's standard and instructed him to successfully fulfill his duties in a new high position. The ceremony was held at the headquarters of the Baltic Fleet in Kaliningrad.
The former commander of the Baltic Fleet, Vice Admiral Vladimir Vorobyov, has been appointed deputy commander of the Navy, the military department said. According to Izvestia sources familiar with the situation, Admiral Vladimir Kasatonov, who previously held this position, became Chief of the General Staff of the Navy — First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Navy instead of Admiral Alexander Nosatov, who was dismissed.
These are not the first changes in the leadership of the Navy in recent times. Admiral Moiseev, who previously commanded the Northern Fleet, was appointed commander-in-chief on April 2. Konstantin Kabantsov took over the vacant position of commander of the SF.
Vice Admiral Sergei Lipilin was born on August 26, 1965 in the city of Nizhneudinsk, Irkutsk region. He graduated from the Pacific Higher Naval School, after which he was sent to serve in Kamchatka. He held the positions of commander of the destroyers "Fearless" and "Fast" and the cruiser "Varyag", chief of staff of the division.
From 2014 to 2018, he was the commander of troops and forces in the Northeast of the country. From 2018 to 2021, he held the position of Deputy Commander of the Black Sea Fleet. Then the Chief of Staff is the first deputy commander of the Russian Baltic Fleet.
The former commander of the Pacific Fleet, Admiral Sergei Avakyants, who knew Vice Admiral Sergei Lipilin for many years, described him as an exceptionally decent, reliable and very honest officer.
— This is a strong appointment in all respects, this officer is very worthy, — the admiral told Izvestia. — And he also has experience in conducting large-scale operational-strategic exercises in the Pacific Fleet.
Three tasks for the commander
According to Sergey Avakyants, as commander of the Baltic Fleet, Sergei Lipilin will have to solve three main tasks.
"The first and main task of the commander of the Baltic Fleet at the moment is to ensure the security of the Kaliningrad region and the inviolability of its borders," he explained. — To exclude the slightest provocations from nearby states in relation to this territory. The second is to conduct full monitoring, to master the air, surface, and underwater situation in the entire Baltic Sea area. And the third thing is to be prepared for sudden attacks, including provocations by unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned boats, actions by underwater sabotage forces and enemy means. That is, to organize the protection of fleet facilities, including in St. Petersburg, in the Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions in all environments - in the air, on land and in water.
In addition, the fleet command needs to be prepared for provocations on the Kaliningrad — St. Petersburg communications, the admiral added.
— The Baltic Fleet has all the necessary components, — military expert, captain of the first rank Vasily Dandykin told Izvestia. — His flagship is the Soviet—built destroyer Persevering. There are four corvettes with modern missile armament. There are minesweeping forces and small missile ships with "Calibers" of the Buyan and Karakurt classes. New submarines are being built for the Baltic Fleet. The navy also has a land component: a marine brigade, naval aviation, missile units, including those armed with Iskanders — this is a great strike force. The Kaliningrad Region is a serious defensive area.
According to the expert, the situation in the region is not easy and will only worsen.
— The enemy in the Baltic is constantly conducting exercises, taking into account the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO, we have minimal access to the sea, — added Vasily Dandykin. — But there will be no easy walk for the NATO joint fleet, and almost all exercises are held under their auspices, in the Baltic. The Baltic Fleet has something to oppose to any opponent.
A difficult region
The region that the Baltic Fleet is responsible for protecting is very difficult, especially after Finland and Sweden joined NATO. Tensions on these borders have been rising since the middle of the last decade. NATO air groups are being sent to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on rotation to patrol along the Russian borders. In the Baltic Sea zone, the countries of the alliance annually make more than a thousand sorties of aircraft and more than 50 sorties of warships for maritime reconnaissance.
In the last year, several clearly aggressive statements have been made by politicians of the Baltic countries. So, on October 20 last year, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said that NATO countries could close shipping for Russian ships in the Baltic Sea if Moscow's involvement in the damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline was proved. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said at the time that NATO dreams of turning the Baltic Sea into an internal lake of the alliance, but this will never happen. As a result, no evidence of Russia's involvement in the accident on the gas pipeline was provided.
On February 27, Lithuanian Ambassador to Sweden and former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius threatened to "neutralize" Kaliningrad if Russia "challenges NATO." He also stated that the Baltic Sea, after Sweden joined the North Atlantic Alliance, allegedly became an internal sea of NATO.
On May 3, the commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, General Martin Herem, said that Estonia considers the possible blockade of the Baltic Sea to be one of the key issues and supports joint actions in this direction with Poland, Sweden and Finland.
Vladimir Matveev
Roman Kretsul
Bogdan Stepovoy
