The new formations may include small missile ships, boats and minesweepers
The new Navy formations in the Sea of Azov will mine the waters, ensure the safety of navigation and the Crimean Bridge and strike with precision weapons, experts interviewed by Izvestia said. There have been no naval formations in this area since the Great Patriotic War, but now, according to the commander-in-chief of the Navy, they will be created. What forces can be included in the new compounds and what kind of functionality they will have — in the material of Izvestia.
What tasks can the Azov Naval formations solve?
Naval formations on the Sea of Azov may include small missile ships, amphibious landing vehicles, transport vessels for transporting troops and forces, minesweepers, patrol ships. This opinion was expressed by the ex-commander of the Pacific Fleet, Admiral Sergei Avakyants.
— We are talking about surface ships and vessels providing relatively small displacement and low draft. Including carriers of high—precision long-range weapons," he told Izvestia. — In addition, it is necessary to develop river flotillas — the Dnieper and Amur. It may be possible to create formations on Siberian rivers, taking into account access to the Arctic — for the long term.
Earlier, the commander-in-chief of the Navy, Admiral Alexander Moiseev, said that there would be naval formations on the Sea of Azov. According to him, the decisions already taken are followed by the further development of the Azov Sea region, which is now solving important, including combat, tasks.
Small rocket ship of the Karakurt project
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Lantyukhov
One of the first tasks that the new Navy formations in the Sea of Azov may face is the demining of the water area, where many explosive objects remained after the battles of 2022, military expert Dmitry Boltenkov suggested in an interview with Izvestia.
— After 1945, we did not have particularly large forces in the Sea of Azov. There were small units there, which were then liquidated in the early 1960s," he explained. — New compounds can carry out work on cleaning the water area from mines and explosive objects. Accordingly, minesweepers will be needed. Secondly, it is necessary to remove the Ukrainian ships that sank there. This means that an emergency rescue service is needed to deal with this. And the third possible task is the work of the hydrographic service, which should provide navigation.
According to the expert, a naval area can be created on the Sea of Azov. This formation roughly corresponds to a division in the ground forces.
— There is another important task that can be assigned to new compounds — anti—sabotage, - said Dmitry Boltenkov. The new compounds will most likely be based in Berdyansk and Mariupol, he concluded.
What other forces can enter the Azov Naval formations
— Due to the fact that shipping in the region is intense, and the enemy does not refuse to strike, launches missiles, there must be ships that ensure the safety of navigation, — military expert, Captain 1st rank Vasily Dandykin told Izvestia. — There should be forces of the so-called protection of the water area. These may be heterogeneous forces based in Berdyansk or Mariupol, there are other ports, for example Taganrog.
According to the expert, the formations may include boats, patrol boats, air defense systems as part of the coastal structure. He did not rule out that a marine battalion would also be created.
— Undoubtedly, a detachment of the anti—sabotage service can be created, - Vasily Dandykin believes. — We have driven back the front line, but it is not that far away. The formations may also include small missile ships, for example, project 22160 "Buyan-M" of the river-sea class.
The Russian navy has been present in the Sea of Azov since the time of Peter the Great. During the Great Patriotic War, the Azov Flotilla operated there. She performed a wide range of tasks: naval battles, amphibious landings, support for ground forces, raids on German facilities on the coast, actions on communications. In 1944, the Azov Flotilla was disbanded, and the Danube River Flotilla was created on its basis.
The Buyan-M rocket ship of Project 22160
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Alexander Polegenko
The northern coast of the Sea of Azov was liberated at the initial stage of a special military operation. Ukrainian forces stationed in the region have taken refuge in Mariupol. After heavy fighting, the city was liberated in May 2022. With the incorporation of the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions into the Russian Federation, the Sea of Azov turned into the internal waters of Russia.
In 2023, the northern Azov Sea region became the area of the fiercest fighting. The Ukrainian Armed Forces chose the Zaporozhye region as the direction of the main attack during their counteroffensive. Russian troops have been on the defensive for many months. As a result, the counteroffensive completely failed, the Ukrainian forces did not achieve any success.
On March 20, 2024, the head of the Ministry of Defense at that time, Sergei Shoigu, announced the creation of the Dnieper River Flotilla. Besides her, an army corps, a motorized rifle division and a brigade of river boats were also formed.
Coastal self-propelled artillery complex A-222 "Bereg"
Image source: Photo: RIA Novosti/Vitaly Timkiv
The flotilla will mainly operate on the Dnieper and in the Dnieper-Bug estuary, and will do the same as its predecessor during the Great Patriotic War: it will fight enemy boats, land troops, create bridgeheads, and possibly force the Dnieper. As reported by Izvestia, 130-millimeter self-propelled artillery installations A-222 "Bereg" will also serve as part of the flotilla. In addition, it has formed marine and special forces units. The flotilla also includes army aviation units, where helicopters of different classes serve.
Roman Kretsul
Vladimir Matveev
