The War Zone – A Russian Shahed kamikaze drone strike on a ship in the port of Chornomorsk was in retaliation for a recent spate of Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea, the Ambrey maritime security firm tells us. The attack on the Turkish-owned CENK-T roll-on, roll-off cargo ship comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned he would “cut Ukraine off from the sea” in response to Ukraine’s stepped-up campaign against Russian commercial shipping. 

The New Arab – Sudan’s government has offered Russia its first naval base in Africa, in exchange for arms, as the military continues to battle the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a renegade militia that Moscow initially supported.

(Thanks to Alain)

The War Zone – Russian-owned oil tanker was attacked in the Black Sea about 80 miles north of the Turkish city of Sinop, according to Turkish and Russian authorities. The strike was “highly likely” carried out by aerial drones, according to the Ambrey maritime security firm. The attack on the Midvolga-2 was the third against Russian-connected ships in the Black Sea in the past three days and came a day after Turkish President Recep Erdogan issued a stark warning that the war in Ukraine was spilling over and endangering navigation.

EuroMaiden – Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service reports that the Kremlin has announced a suspension of agreements to establish a naval logistics base in Port Sudan. The base was intended to become Russia’s first full-scale naval facility in Africa since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The suspension highlights Moscow’s limited resources for expanding overseas military infrastructure, as it focuses virtually all of its capabilities on the war in Ukraine.

(Thanks to Alain)

The Guardian – A Russian spy ship has entered British waters and shone lasers at military pilots, the defence secretary has said, as he warned the UK was facing a “new era of threat” from hostile countries.

National Interest – Russia’s “Harmony” project is the latest salvo in the battle between underwater access and anti-access efforts. The United States will need new innovations of its own to fight back.

CBS News – The U.S. Coast Guard said it detected and tracked a Russian military spy ship just miles off the coast of Hawaii, the latest incident of a Russian vessel or plane operating close to the U.S.

(Thanks to Alain)

Covert Shores – After a painfully long wait, the Russian submarine Khabarovsk has finally emerged from its construction shed in Severodvinsk. The Pr. 09851 class boat is the second Poseidon carrying submarine in the Russian Navy, following the Pr. 09852 Belgorod. Khabarovsk is a smaller submarine better optimized to the role of carrying Poseidon. 

The War Zone – According to the Russian leader, the test saw the mysterious weapon launched from a submarine and traveling under nuclear propulsion.

The New Voice of Ukraine – A large Russian Navy landing ship has anchored off Germany’s Baltic coast, sparking concern among NATO states already wary of repeated Russian incursions into allied airspace, according to DW.

(Thanks to Alain)

The Barents Observer – Two Russian vessels suspiciously zigzag in the Norwegian Sea, near the area of the ongoing German Maritime Firing Exercise.

Naval News – The Russian submarine Novorossiysk, an Improved Kilo-class vessel, has been forced to limp home to the Baltic after a mechanical failure in the Mediterranean. While some reports exaggerated its plight, the incident exposes the Russian Navy’s declining presence in the region. Since losing its Syrian base at Tartus in 2024 and facing restrictions on movement through the Bosporus, Russia’s Mediterranean task force has largely collapsed. The Novorossiysk’s troubles highlight mounting maintenance issues and the broader erosion of Moscow’s naval reach in the Mediterranean.

Defense News – NATO officials have been tracking a decrease in Russia’s naval presence in the Mediterranean, which officials have attributed to readiness problems and the Baltic Sea and High North regions demanding greater attention in Moscow’s eyes.

Reuters – Russian warships have repeatedly sailed on collision courses, aimed weapons at Danish naval vessels and disrupted navigation systems in Denmark’s straits that connect the Baltic Sea to the North Sea, its defence intelligence service said on Friday.

(Thanks to Alain)

Politico – Russian-linked vessels are continuing to leak oil off Europe’s shores — despite Western sanctions — underscoring the continent’s inability to rein in Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet.

USNI News – A Russian Navy Borei-class ballistic missile submarine was spotted for the first time transiting the La Perouse Strait on Wednesday, according to Japanese officials.

ItaMilRadar – The Russian Navy submarine Novorossiisk, accompanied by the tug Iakov Grebelskii, has arrived in the port of Algiers as part of the ongoing military cooperation between Algeria and Russia.

(Thanks to Alain)

GIS Reports – Despite submarine strength, Russia’s navy struggles with obsolescence, strategic setbacks and dwindling seaborne relevance.

(Thanks to Alain)

Barents Observer – Large areas in the Barents Sea have been sealed off as Russia and Belarus start their major joint exercise.

Defence Blog – Russia is moving ahead with the design of a new ocean-going warship, according to Admiral Alexander Moiseev, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy.

(Thanks to Alain)

The Barents Observer – The Admiral Nakhimov will be the largest operational warship in the Russian Navy. It will also be one of the oldest. 

The Barents Observer – The Northern Fleet can forget about taking delivery of its new ocean going tug as the vessel capsized and sank at pier of the Baltic shipyard this weekend. 

Barents Observer – The Northern Fleet welcomed the Knyaz Pozharsky with festivity to her new home base on August 2. Shortly after, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR) published classified internal documentation concerning the brand new submarine.