Russian warships on move

“We are closely tracking all movements,” the Norwegian Armed Forces announced on Monday as the first photos started to come in of the Russian Baltic Fleet amphibious vessels currently on exercise.

According to the Norwegians, the movements are part of Russia’s long-announced strategic exercise Okean (Ocean) 2024. The three warships now being followed by Norway’s corvette Storm én route northbound are two Steregushchiy class corvettes and one Ropucha class landing ship.

Last week, the Barents Observer reported about the first anti-submarine operations kicking off north of the Kola Peninsula in the Barents Sea. Now, warships from both the Baltic Fleet and the Northern Fleet are on the move.

“The Russian Navy has now started exercise Okean. The exercise results in increased activity from both the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet in our immediate areas, in addition to long-haul aircraft. We were prepared for this, and we have planned to follow Russian movements together with our allies, says Vice-Admiral Rune Andersen, head of the Norwegian Armed Forces’ operational headquarters (JHQ).

Norwegian corvette “Storm” has been monitoring 3 Russian Baltic Fleet vessels off the west coast of Norway. The Russian ships are sailing in international waters as part of exercise Okean, increasing naval and aerial activity near Norway. We are closely tracking all movements. pic.twitter.com/rlUBWHLUIC

— Norwegian Armed Forces | Forsvaret (@Forsvaret_no) September 9, 2024

Ocean-2024 was announced by former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu last December to take place this year. Last year’s planned strategic large-scale exercise Zapad-2023 was called off for reasons not made public by Russia’s Defense Ministry. 

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China’s Defense Ministry on Monday said it later this month will have a joint naval and airforce exercise with Russia in the Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk named “Northern United 2024”. Later, Beijing stated, the Chinese navy will take part in Russia’s “Okean-2024” exericse.

There are no report about any Chinese warships in the European part of Russia’s Arctic.

The Russian Navy has not announced in public the Ocean-2024 to be started.