Russia kicks off trans-Arctic navy exercise
15 warships, submarines, support vessels, aircraft and coastal units are involved as the Northern Fleet starts an exercise that stretches all along Russia’s Arctic, from the Barents Sea in the West to the East Siberian Sea.
Last week, Russia’s Pacific Fleet launched Finval-2023 major exercise into the Chukci Sea north of Siberia and now the Northern Fleet joins from the western part of the Arctic.
On the schedule is protection of coast civilian infrastructure, Northern Fleet facilities, study areas for combat operations and live fire, as well as conducting anti-terrorist operations by isolating areas, blocking and destroying them, a press release from the Headquarters in Severomorsk says.
“Practical operations of the forces and troops of the Northern Fleet will take place in the waters of the Barents-, Kara- and East Siberian Seas.”
The exercise involves up to 1,800 people.
In the east, coastal batteries of the type Bal and Bastion are applied, the Barents Observer reported on Monday as the US Coast Guard icebreaker “Healy” currently is sailing north of Siberia from Alaska towards Tromsø, northern Norway.
Key warships for the high Arctic part of the exercise include the destroyer “Vice Admiral Kulakov” and the amphibious landing ship “Aleksandr Ostrakovsky”, both currently part of the warship detachment operating near the New Siberia Islands.
The Northern Fleet has this week issued NOTAM-warnings in waters close to the maritime border with Norway, including west of the Fishermen Peninsula, a few kilometers from Norway’s Grense Jakobselv.
