Russian Navy cruiser RFS Varyag (011), flagship of Russia’s Pacific Fleet, and frigate RFS Marshal Shaposhnikov (543) returned to their homeport of Vladivostok on Friday, wrapping up a seven-month deployment to the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, the Russian Navy Pacific Fleet from Tuesday to Thursday conducted combat drills for its logistical and support forces in the waters of the Primorsky region.
Varyag and Marshal Shaposhnikov departed Vladivostok on Jan. 22. A Russian Pacific Fleet release stated Varyag sailed a total 28,000 nautical miles during the deployment, while Marshal Shaposhnikov sailed 32,000 nautical miles, the difference because the two ships occasionally detached to conduct separate tasking.
In February, Varyag and Marshal Shaposhnikov participated in the Indian Navy’s multinational naval exercise Milan 2024 and in March carried out trilateral drills with Iran and China in the Gulf of Oman before arriving in the Mediterranean on Apr. 1 following a transit of the Suez Canal. The two ships departed the region on Jul. 16, after conducting various engagement activities with countries friendly to Russia along with operating with other Russian Navy ships in the Mediterranean.
The two Russian ships transited the Malacca Strait on Aug. 15 and subsequently sailed through the Singapore Strait before conducting a replenishment at sea with fleet oiler Butoma in the South China Sea, according to a Russian Navy Pacific Fleet release.
Japanese forces tracked Varyag and Marshal Shaposhnikov as they sailed past Japan on their homeward voyage. A Joint Staff Office (JSO) release on Tuesday stated that at 4 a.m that day, the two Russian ships were sighted sailing northeast in an area 37 miles southwest of Iriomote Island and subsequently sailed northeast in the waters between Yonaguni Island and Iriomote Island, heading toward the East China Sea. Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) fleet oiler JS Mashu (AOE-425) carried out surveillance on the Russian ships, stated the release.
In a Thursday release, the JSO stated that at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Varyag and Marshal Shaposhnikov were sighted sailing northeast in an area 68 miles southwest of Tsushima and subsequently, from Wednesday to Thursday, the two Russian ships sailed northeast through the Tsushima Strait to enter the Sea of Japan. Multipurpose support ship JS Amakusa (AMS-4303) carried out surveillance on the Russian ships. A DVIDS image release showed a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon from Patrol Squadron (VP) 10 carrying out “maritime domain awareness operations” in the Tsushima Strait on Wednesday, according to the photo caption.
In other developments, the Russian Navy Pacific Fleet from Tuesday to Thursday conducted combat drills for its logistical and support forces in the waters of the Primorsky region. A Russian Ministry of Defence (MOD) release stated that “the exercise featured events on anti-robot, anti-aircraft and anti-diversionary defence taking into account the experience of the special military operation.”
According to the release, the drills began with loading P-270 Moskit cruise missiles on corvette RFS R-19 (978) and fleet comprehensive support activities were practiced in a secured area, including restoration of damaged underwater cable line, replenishment of materiel stocks, loading of anti-submarine torpedoes with a floating crane on the ship, magnetic field measurement, and electromagnetic treatment of the ship’s hull.
Convoy defense against submarine drills were carried out and followed by an exercise in which the ships defended against unmanned surface vessels. The exercise scenario included having a ship damaged by the attacks and carrying out ship recovery and assistance and casualty evacuation drills, with the simulated casualties being evacuated by speedboats to hospital ship Irtysh and by helicopters to the Pacific Fleet Naval helicopters.
The exercise also included an iteration in which ships replenishing stocks and loading matérial at a temporary mooring location had to be defended from aerial drone and unmanned surface vessels attacks. The focus on unmanned vehicle attack defense reflects the Russian Navy’s experience fighting with Ukraine, with the Russian Navy having lost several ships to drone attacks, with the losses attributed to poor security and a lack of defensive measures.
