Russian fleet feels comfortable in Sevastopol – VADM Korolev

Black Sea Fleet (BSF) feels comfortable in Sevastopol land, said BSF Commander Vice Admiral Vladimir Korolev appearing at solemn ceremony near the monument to Catherine the Great associated with 228th anniversary of Black Sea Fleet. 

According to him, the fleet has mutual understanding and constructively co-operates with Sevastopol city authorities. 

Afterwards, Korolev said to reporters: "Time after the Kharkov agreements is a special period in the history and life of Black Sea Fleet and Ukrainian Navy. We're preparing for serious exercise Fairway of Peace-2011.

Black Sea Fleet and Ukrainian Navy to conduct joint missile firings in summer

Russia's Black Sea Fleet (BSF) and Ukrainian Navy are about to hold joint missile firings in summer 2011 in the Black Sea, reports TSN.ua. 

That was said by Ukrainian Navy Deputy Commander VADM Sergei Yeliseyev and BSF Deputy Commander VADM Sergei Menyailo on May 4 at the final planning conference of Russian-Ukrainian exercise Fairway of Peace 2011 which is to be held in May 23-27. 

Answering the question why missile firings earlier planned to be conducted during the Fairway of Peace exercise were canceled, Menyailo said nobody had revoked the firings. 

Russia, NATO to conduct major joint naval exercises

MOSCOW (BNS): The Russian Navy is planning to participate in several major naval exercises along with NATO countries in coming months, according to a media report.

"Since May till July Russian warships will participate in a number of international naval exercises in order to practice joint tasks with foreign warships", RIA Novosti quoted Russian Navy spokesman as saying.

Russian Navy will stay in Sevastopol forever - admiral

Russia will never give up its naval base in Ukraine's port of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula, ex-commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet Adm. Igor Kasatonov said.

Russia's Black Sea Fleet is stationed in Crimea under a lease agreement with Ukraine. On April 21, 2010, Moscow and Kiev signed a deal extending the lease on the fleet's base in Sevastopol for 25 years after the current lease expires in 2017.

Black Sea Fleet prepares for a fire-risky season

In accordance with the resolution of Russian Fire Prevention Committee, Black Sea Fleet (BSF) conducted scheduled qualification fire drills.Photo: Black Sea Fleet Information Support Group

The drills' purpose is to determine practical personnel readiness and equipment capabilities to protect military assets from mass fires in prairies and forests, and to practice emergency activities during spring/summer fire hazardous season. Standard firefighting units of BSF units and organizations were involved in the drills. Specific attention was given to firefighters of the fleet's arsenals and ammo storage depots. 

According to Chief of BSF Fire Dept Major Denis Perepelitsa, the first phase of the drills showed that all units commanders used responsible approach in fire prevention activities, basing on past years' experience. BSF continues to improve its fire security system.

Black Sea Fleet Theater gave performance in air bases

In accordance with a tour schedule, Black Sea Fleet (BSF) Lavrenev Drama Theater gave performance in BSF air bases Gvardeiskoye and Kacha. 

Arrival of the fleet's actors was associated with 50th anniversary of Yury Gagarin's space flight. The theater company presented two plays – an adult comedy, and a kids' performance. The audience consisted not only of servicemen and their families but civil locals as well.

Delivering a speech to naval aviators, director of BSF Drama Theater Sergei Mamaisur pointed out that the theater had planned to enlarge tours' geography, so those who serve and live in distant bases would have a chance to visit the fleet's performances more frequently. 

In the nearest future the actors are about to give performance in BSF Base Feodosiya, Crimea.

Black Sea Fleet holds landing exercise in Crimea

Black Sea Fleet (BSF) Marine Brigade continues field drills at Opuk landing range in Crimea. 

Prior to that, BSF large landing ships Azov,Novocherkassk, Saratov, and Nikolai Filchenkov performed training tasks along with marines. When suppressing "enemy" anti-landing defense, all four ships effectively fired shipborne artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems, and destroyed opponent's fortifications. After firing drills carried out by landing ships, marines held battalion tactical exercise and practiced combat for unequipped seashore. Over 300 marines and about 100 combat vehicles were involved in the exercise. 

Company tactical demonstration with firing drill was conducted yesterday at Opuk range. Crews of mortars, armored personnel carriers, Nona self-propelled gun mounts, and Shilka antiaircraft combat vehicles practiced firing skills in the course of the exercise. 

BSF marines will conduct field maneuvers till Apr 24.

Black Sea Fleet minesweeper to chase suspect vessels along with Turkish warships

Black Sea Fleet (BSF) sea-going minesweeperValentin Pikul will attend joint naval operation Black Sea Harmony, reports Rosbalt referring to BSF Information Support Group. 

According to BSF press-service, prior to the operationValentin Pikul has passed scheduled overhaul and conducted firing drills of all shipborne weapons. 

The operation is controlled by permanent headquarters located in Turkish port Eregli. It works in cooperation with Russian command post in Divnomorskoye which maintains effective participation of Russian assets in international naval operations held in the Black Sea. 

Note that Russia takes part in the anti-terror operation Black Sea Harmony since 2006. In the framework of the operation, Russian and Turkish naval assets monitor suspect vessels with the view to reveal illegal activities, primarily, terrorism and contraband trafficking.

Airborne regiment finished tactical drills near Novorossiysk

108th Guard Airborne Regiment has conducted a tactical exercise with parachute assault and live firing at Rayevsky Range, Krasnodar region. Over 1,500 servicemen and about 100 combat vehicles were involved. 

During the rehearsal, 6 combat vehicles were air-dropped by transport airplanes Il-76. The regiment's personnel and other armor vehicles were delivered to prescribed area by Black Sea Fleet large landing ships.

Black Sea Fleet will have a submarine division in Crimea

Russia's Black Sea Fleet will obtain several new diesel electric submarines in the nearest years, said deputy chief of Navy Main HQ Vice Admiral Oleg Burtsev in the interview to Echo Moskvyradio. 

"We're going to establish a submarine division at Black Sea Fleet; it will be capable to react adequately on potential threats. Same prospects are topical for Baltic Fleet", said the admiral. 

According to him, Russia's naval strategy provides that nuclear-powered submarines to be stationed only at Northern and Pacific fleets. 

Recall previous statement of BSF Commander Vice Admiral Vladimir Korolev saying the fleet is being reinforced with new arms in line with approved plans.

New attack aircrafts Su-24M to join Black Sea Fleet

New attack aircrafts Su-24M will be soon commissioned into Black Sea Fleet (BSF); however, the fleet lacks experienced pilots because they have been dismissed in result of the military "reform". BSF has no simulators either. 

First-class pilots were "dismissed due to age limits and staff reductions", said BSF Naval Aviation Commander Alexander Otroschenko in the interview to the fleet's newspaper Flag Rodiny. Even 2 years ago BSF naval aviation had "large number" of pilots, underlined the newspaper. 

Black Sea Fleet to make Ukraine alter laws

Russia and Ukraine will discuss re-armament process of Russian Black Sea Fleet, said Ukrainian defense minister Mikhail Yezhel at recent briefing, reports RBK. 

He pointed out that Ukrainian legislation and bilateral agreements do not provide any tools for re-armament of Russia's Black Sea Fleet (BSF). 

According to the minister, neither agreement of 1996 nor Ukrainian laws mention possibility of BSF re-armament. "Those documents say nothing about re-armament. So, this is a subject of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia", said Yezhel. 

Black Sea Fleet contradicts rumors of its warships dispatched to Libya

Official representative of Russia's Black Sea Fleet (BSF) confutes reports of some media sources that Russian warships were heading for Libya with marine units on board. 

Such task was not assigned to the fleet, reported RIA Novosti referring to Capt 1 rank Vyacheslav Trukhachev, BSF Commander's press secretary. 

Some online news agencies reported on Thursday referring to a source in Russian diplomatic circles that two BSF large landing ships Caesar Kunikov andYamal were planned to head for Libya. The sources also reported that each landing ship was supposed to carry at least 150 marines on board. 

Black Sea Fleet aviation turns 90

Black Sea Fleet (BSF) aviation will celebrate 90th anniversary on March 3. 

Jubilee meeting will be held on March 3, 2011 in Sevastopol at the memorial "To courage and heroism of Black Sea Fleet aviators"; attendants of the meeting will commemorate Black Sea Fleet pilots lost in wars defending the native land. Afterwards, it is planned to conduct a solemn meeting and a concert associated with the jubilee in BSF Officers' Club.

Russian defense ministry is about to purchase 100 warships till 2020, reports RIA Novosti referring to deputy defense minister Vladimir Popovkin. According to him, procurement of ships will be carried out under State Arms Program 2011-2020 and will imply 20 submarines, 35 corvettes, and 15 frigates. Popovkin did not specify what kind of other 30 ships the Navy intends to buy. 

State Arms Program 2011-2020 has not been approved yet; its parameters are still uncertain. As was previously reported, defense ministry would receive RUR 19 trillions under this program. According to Russian Navy Main HQ, part of these funds will be appropriated for renovation of Black Sea Fleet (BSF).

Russian and Ukrainian fleets commanders took a favorable view of cooperation

Meeting on the Motherland Defenders' Day, commanders of Russian Black Sea Fleet (BSF) and Ukrainian Navy positively estimated their cooperation, reported New Sevastopol. 

BSF Commander Vice Admiral Vladimir Korolev considers that military cooperation between the two countries "dynamically develops". 

"This fact is proved by successful training (I insist, successful) of Ukrainian submariners at Russian sub and bilateral agreement to resume practical phase of annual Russian-Ukrainian naval exercise Fairway of Peace. Joint drills, exercises, crew interaction, and finally, protection of Russian and Ukrainian sea borders are main trends of our cooperative activity", said Korolev. 

Black Sea Fleet should expand presence in Crimea – politician

Russian Black Sea Fleet (BSF) must expand its presence in Crimea; particularly, reinforcing naval base in Feodosiya and reconstructing base at Lake Donuzlav, said Andrei Kozenko, leader of Crimean organization "Russian Unity". 

According to him, enlargement of Black Sea Fleet's presence in Crimea would contribute to security and state budget revenue. 

"Opinion of inefficiency and weakness of Russia's Black Sea Fleet expressed by the leader of anticonstitutional grouping "Majlis" Mustafa Dzhemilev is just a subjective belief of some politicians trying to show their wishes as reality. It is impossible to find an example in history when Russian Black Sea Fleet failed to repress an enemy's aggression and maintain stability in the Black Sea. Black Sea Fleet's participation in the South Ossetian conflict in Aug 2008 proved its full combat worthiness", said Kozenko. 

Crimean Tatars: Russian fleet poses no threat; it is much weaker than Turkish Navy

Russian Black Sea Fleet deployed in Crimea constitutes not a military but mostly a political threat, said the leader of Crimean Tatars Mustafa Dzhemilev. 

"Russian fleet poses no threat; it is several times weaker than Turkish Navy. However, Black Sea Fleet has 23,000 military servicemen in Crimea, they're Russians... When you think of how many people have dual citizenship in Crimea, it becomes apparent that Russians even don't need to enter troops from abroad; they've already here, at our territory. Besides, Russian fleet countenances separatists in Crimea. So, we're talking about the threat to Ukraine's integrity", said Dzhemilev in the interview to Kyiv Post. 

BSF mariners honored memory of compatriots died abroad

Servicemen of Black Sea Fleet (BSF) in Sevastopol marked the 22nd anniversary of withdrawal Soviet expeditionary troops from Afghanistan, now officially called the Remembrance Day of Russians lost while overseas missions. 

A memorial service to all compatriots died in Afghanistan and other local conflicts abroad was held in the morning in St. Vladimir Cathedral which is burial place of Russian admirals. Along with city officials and veterans, the divine service was attended by servicemen of Black Sea Fleet and Ukrainian Navy. 

Russian-Ukrainian naval exercise Fairway of Peace 2011 was discussed in Sevastopol

Planning conference on the Russian-Ukrainian joint exercise Fairway of Peace 2011 was held on Feb 17 at Black Sea Fleet (BSF) training center in accordance with the plan of international cooperation between Russian and Ukrainian defense ministries. 

Working groups of Russian Black Sea Fleet (BSF) and Ukrainian Navy participated in the conference. They were headed respectively by Director of BSF Training Dept Capt 1 rank Alexander Chesnokov and acting Ukrainian Navy Deputy Commander for combat training Capt 1 rank Denis Berezovsky.