In September 2024, Russia conducted its OKEAN-24 Naval Exercise. However, Ukrainian attacks prevented any activities in the Black Sea during this exercise.
According to the British Defense Ministry’s October 13 intelligence report, Russia’s Navy conducted its first large-scale drill in two-years in mid-September. The Russian Navy claimed that 400 vessels were involved in four seas and both oceans. The report says that Russia’s figures are “grossly overstated,” since there are only “currently around 300 vessels” available to participate.
During the 2.5 years of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine destroyed at minimum 1/3 of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet using missiles and naval drones. The majority of the fleet’s remaining vessels retreated to remote locations, out of range of Ukrainian missiles, from their main base in Sevastopol. This explains why Russia did not hold Okean-2024 events on the Black Sea.
The UK Defense Ministry wrote
* The Russian Federation Navy (RFN), between 10 and 16 September, 2024, conducted OKEAN-24. This was a large-scale, strategic exercise. The Russian armed forces had taken a two-year break from large-scale exercises. The Russian armed forces used to conduct a joint strategic exercise (JSE) every year until 2022. But the last two exercises have been cancelled, almost certainly because of the demands made by the war in Ukraine.
* OKEAN-24 likely was an effort to demonstrate capability and reach despite the war. In the initial Russian media reports, OKEAN-2024 was said to involve over 400 ships, 120 aircraft, 7,500 vehicles, 90,000 personnel and 7,000 vehicles. Units would conduct operations in the Barents Sea, Baltic, Mediterranean and Caspian seas as well the Pacific and Arctic Oceans.
* The exercise was conducted in these areas. However, Russia has probably grossly overstated these figures since there are only 300 vessels that can take part.
The Black Sea was not a part of the OKEAN-2024 activities, most likely due to the Ukrainian attacks during the first six months in 2024.
According to UK intelligence, Russia cancelled a large portion of its annual Navy Day Parade in July. The Kronstadt component of the parade was canceled due to security concerns. The Kronstadt Naval Base is located near Saint-Petersburg, on the Baltic Sea.
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