spectre crouton
@spectrecrouton.bsky.social
Deep diving, original analysis and reporting on the Russian Navy and related maritime topics. Views expressed do not reflect those of my current or past employers, nor do they reflect the views of Vova (you know which one).
Two Barents Sea missile launch area closures in effect this week:
- red area closure | 10-12 December (04:00-15:00 daily)
.....same area closure announced in July and November 2025
- yellow area closure | 11-16 December (14:00-15:00 daily)
.....unusual as it is in effect for only one hour each day
- red area closure | 10-12 December (04:00-15:00 daily)
.....same area closure announced in July and November 2025
- yellow area closure | 11-16 December (14:00-15:00 daily)
.....unusual as it is in effect for only one hour each day
December 8, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Two Barents Sea missile launch area closures in effect this week:
- red area closure | 10-12 December (04:00-15:00 daily)
.....same area closure announced in July and November 2025
- yellow area closure | 11-16 December (14:00-15:00 daily)
.....unusual as it is in effect for only one hour each day
- red area closure | 10-12 December (04:00-15:00 daily)
.....same area closure announced in July and November 2025
- yellow area closure | 11-16 December (14:00-15:00 daily)
.....unusual as it is in effect for only one hour each day
What I thought was a "probable Sviyazhsk-class missile patrol ship" turns out to be recently commissioned (August 2025) Bykov-class missile patrol boat Viktor Velikiy [archive image for comparison]
- ship is escorting M/V General Skobelev through Great Belt/Kattegat today
- ship is escorting M/V General Skobelev through Great Belt/Kattegat today
December 4, 2025 at 4:35 PM
What I thought was a "probable Sviyazhsk-class missile patrol ship" turns out to be recently commissioned (August 2025) Bykov-class missile patrol boat Viktor Velikiy [archive image for comparison]
- ship is escorting M/V General Skobelev through Great Belt/Kattegat today
- ship is escorting M/V General Skobelev through Great Belt/Kattegat today
[2/2] Preliminary analysis suggests Fotiy Krylov may be escorting/assisting Dubna-class oiler Pechenga and/or Vishnya-class intelligence collection Kareliya (SSV-535) during a return transit from the Hawaiian Islands to Vladivostok
bsky.app/profile/spec...
bsky.app/profile/spec...
December 4, 2025 at 11:52 AM
[2/2] Preliminary analysis suggests Fotiy Krylov may be escorting/assisting Dubna-class oiler Pechenga and/or Vishnya-class intelligence collection Kareliya (SSV-535) during a return transit from the Hawaiian Islands to Vladivostok
bsky.app/profile/spec...
bsky.app/profile/spec...
[1/2] Based on AIS reporting, RF Navy Pacific Fleet Baklazhan-class salvage/rescue tug Fotiy Krylov departed Vladivostok on 22 November with a stated destination of the Philippine Sea; tug is currently heading north in the East China Sea
www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/detai...
www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/detai...
December 4, 2025 at 11:52 AM
[1/2] Based on AIS reporting, RF Navy Pacific Fleet Baklazhan-class salvage/rescue tug Fotiy Krylov departed Vladivostok on 22 November with a stated destination of the Philippine Sea; tug is currently heading north in the East China Sea
www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/detai...
www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/detai...
Star Far East Shipyard has been ordered to pay Center for Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Technologies RUB 63,736,948 in non-payment + fines for a 2020 contract to repair/upgrade torpedo tubes on Oscar II-class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine Irkutsk
December 3, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Star Far East Shipyard has been ordered to pay Center for Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Technologies RUB 63,736,948 in non-payment + fines for a 2020 contract to repair/upgrade torpedo tubes on Oscar II-class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine Irkutsk
Future RF Navy Pacific Fleet Balk-class oceangoing tug Kapitan Sergeyev [IMO 9871919] is conducting builder's sea trials near Vladivostok
[Oct 2023-Jan 2024] tug transfers Novorossiysk to Vladivostok
[Mar-May 2024] tug undergoes repairs at Nakhodka Shipyard
[Jun 2024-Oct 2025] tug remains idle?
[Oct 2023-Jan 2024] tug transfers Novorossiysk to Vladivostok
[Mar-May 2024] tug undergoes repairs at Nakhodka Shipyard
[Jun 2024-Oct 2025] tug remains idle?
December 2, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Future RF Navy Pacific Fleet Balk-class oceangoing tug Kapitan Sergeyev [IMO 9871919] is conducting builder's sea trials near Vladivostok
[Oct 2023-Jan 2024] tug transfers Novorossiysk to Vladivostok
[Mar-May 2024] tug undergoes repairs at Nakhodka Shipyard
[Jun 2024-Oct 2025] tug remains idle?
[Oct 2023-Jan 2024] tug transfers Novorossiysk to Vladivostok
[Mar-May 2024] tug undergoes repairs at Nakhodka Shipyard
[Jun 2024-Oct 2025] tug remains idle?
At least four Sierra Leone-flagged hopper/dredgers have been operating in Bukhta Krasheninnikova (adjacent to Rybachiy Submarine Base) for the past several weeks.
Are there no RF-flagged hoppers or dredgers in RF Far East?
Are there no RF-flagged hoppers or dredgers in RF Far East?
December 1, 2025 at 10:14 PM
At least four Sierra Leone-flagged hopper/dredgers have been operating in Bukhta Krasheninnikova (adjacent to Rybachiy Submarine Base) for the past several weeks.
Are there no RF-flagged hoppers or dredgers in RF Far East?
Are there no RF-flagged hoppers or dredgers in RF Far East?
RF Navy Northern Fleet Ingul-class salvage/rescue tug Altay departed Severomorsk on 24 November; remains underway through today
- may be heading south in Norwegian Sea to rendezvous with RF Navy Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine, currently heading north in Kattegat
bsky.app/profile/spec...
- may be heading south in Norwegian Sea to rendezvous with RF Navy Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine, currently heading north in Kattegat
bsky.app/profile/spec...
November 30, 2025 at 2:58 PM
RF Navy Northern Fleet Ingul-class salvage/rescue tug Altay departed Severomorsk on 24 November; remains underway through today
- may be heading south in Norwegian Sea to rendezvous with RF Navy Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine, currently heading north in Kattegat
bsky.app/profile/spec...
- may be heading south in Norwegian Sea to rendezvous with RF Navy Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine, currently heading north in Kattegat
bsky.app/profile/spec...
...Aleksandr Frolov, escorting unidentified RF Navy Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine, conducted northbound transit of the Great Belt during the 09:00 local hour today (30 November)
h/t @pa.nton.cx
h/t @pa.nton.cx
November 30, 2025 at 11:42 AM
...Aleksandr Frolov, escorting unidentified RF Navy Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine, conducted northbound transit of the Great Belt during the 09:00 local hour today (30 November)
h/t @pa.nton.cx
h/t @pa.nton.cx
German submarine (MMSI 211999999) and Russian Kilo-class submarine (escorted by MMSI 273542930) conducted northbound transits of the Great Belt this morning (04:00 and 09:00 local hours, respectively)
- both currently heading north in the Kattegat
- both currently heading north in the Kattegat
November 30, 2025 at 11:24 AM
German submarine (MMSI 211999999) and Russian Kilo-class submarine (escorted by MMSI 273542930) conducted northbound transits of the Great Belt this morning (04:00 and 09:00 local hours, respectively)
- both currently heading north in the Kattegat
- both currently heading north in the Kattegat
...looks like Danish Navy patrol ship P523 is preparing to handover escort of Aleksandr Frolov to Danish Navy patrol ship P520 in Fehmarnbelt
November 29, 2025 at 10:58 PM
...looks like Danish Navy patrol ship P523 is preparing to handover escort of Aleksandr Frolov to Danish Navy patrol ship P520 in Fehmarnbelt
...if Aleksandr Frolov continues at its current 6-knot speed of advance, it (and whatever it is towing/escorting) should reach the Great Belt Bridge at approximately 09:00 UTC/10:00 local time tomorrow (29 November)
November 29, 2025 at 2:15 PM
...if Aleksandr Frolov continues at its current 6-knot speed of advance, it (and whatever it is towing/escorting) should reach the Great Belt Bridge at approximately 09:00 UTC/10:00 local time tomorrow (29 November)
Upcoming missile firing activity in the Barents and White Seas:
- red closures in effect 3-6 December (03:00-17:00 daily)
- yellow closure in effect 3-10 Dec (06:00-15:00 daily)
- red closures in effect 3-6 December (03:00-17:00 daily)
- yellow closure in effect 3-10 Dec (06:00-15:00 daily)
November 29, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Upcoming missile firing activity in the Barents and White Seas:
- red closures in effect 3-6 December (03:00-17:00 daily)
- yellow closure in effect 3-10 Dec (06:00-15:00 daily)
- red closures in effect 3-6 December (03:00-17:00 daily)
- yellow closure in effect 3-10 Dec (06:00-15:00 daily)
RF Navy Baltic Fleet salvage/rescue tug Aleksandr Frolov (MMSI 273542930) departed Baltiysk today with a stated destination of Skagerrak, which may (or may not) indicate the tug is heading north to the Kattegat/Skagerrak area in the coming days
November 27, 2025 at 11:24 AM
RF Navy Baltic Fleet salvage/rescue tug Aleksandr Frolov (MMSI 273542930) departed Baltiysk today with a stated destination of Skagerrak, which may (or may not) indicate the tug is heading north to the Kattegat/Skagerrak area in the coming days
You're correct, manipulators were not reinstalled following repairs. After water-tight integrity testing is completed, additional tests (with manipulators installed) will be performed.
Here's an old image showing installed manipulators.
Here's an old image showing installed manipulators.
November 26, 2025 at 11:32 PM
You're correct, manipulators were not reinstalled following repairs. After water-tight integrity testing is completed, additional tests (with manipulators installed) will be performed.
Here's an old image showing installed manipulators.
Here's an old image showing installed manipulators.
...Vitse-Admiral Paromov changed its destination from 'open sea' to 'Murmansk', with an ETA of today
November 26, 2025 at 4:32 PM
...Vitse-Admiral Paromov changed its destination from 'open sea' to 'Murmansk', with an ETA of today
Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center has until 27 April 2026 to raise and remove floating crane PK-400 Sevastopol from Yuzhnaya Bukhta (Sevastopol), where it capsized in October 2025
November 26, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Zvezdochka Ship Repair Center has until 27 April 2026 to raise and remove floating crane PK-400 Sevastopol from Yuzhnaya Bukhta (Sevastopol), where it capsized in October 2025
RF Navy Northern Fleet Muromets-class icebreaker Ilya Muromets (IMO 9820233 | MMSI 273542050) departed port on 24 October and remains underway through today
- not transmitting AIS
- not transmitting AIS
November 24, 2025 at 6:40 PM
RF Navy Northern Fleet Muromets-class icebreaker Ilya Muromets (IMO 9820233 | MMSI 273542050) departed port on 24 October and remains underway through today
- not transmitting AIS
- not transmitting AIS
Not good news for Yaroslavl Shipyard...
- shipyard lost 39 of 100 cases filed against it in 2025 (so far) + ordered to pay RUB 490,754,471 in damages/fines;
- many cases are under appeal/could be appealed;
- 49 other cases (RUB 552,765,329) still to be heard; many won't begin until 2026
- shipyard lost 39 of 100 cases filed against it in 2025 (so far) + ordered to pay RUB 490,754,471 in damages/fines;
- many cases are under appeal/could be appealed;
- 49 other cases (RUB 552,765,329) still to be heard; many won't begin until 2026
November 24, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Not good news for Yaroslavl Shipyard...
- shipyard lost 39 of 100 cases filed against it in 2025 (so far) + ordered to pay RUB 490,754,471 in damages/fines;
- many cases are under appeal/could be appealed;
- 49 other cases (RUB 552,765,329) still to be heard; many won't begin until 2026
- shipyard lost 39 of 100 cases filed against it in 2025 (so far) + ordered to pay RUB 490,754,471 in damages/fines;
- many cases are under appeal/could be appealed;
- 49 other cases (RUB 552,765,329) still to be heard; many won't begin until 2026
...Vitse-Admiral Paromov changed its destination from 'Larnaca, Cyprus' to 'open sea'
November 23, 2025 at 6:13 PM
...Vitse-Admiral Paromov changed its destination from 'Larnaca, Cyprus' to 'open sea'
RF Navy Northern Fleet Udaloy I-class destroyer Admiral Levchenko departed port during evening hours on 20 November and remains underway through today
November 23, 2025 at 1:09 PM
RF Navy Northern Fleet Udaloy I-class destroyer Admiral Levchenko departed port during evening hours on 20 November and remains underway through today
...Vitse-Admiral Paromov has resumed a northeasterly transit in the Norwegian Sea
November 23, 2025 at 10:31 AM
...Vitse-Admiral Paromov has resumed a northeasterly transit in the Norwegian Sea
...Vitse-Admiral Paromov may have some tasking in the North Sea; worth watching to see if it slows down, or if AIS reporting ceases over the coming hours
November 22, 2025 at 10:59 AM
...Vitse-Admiral Paromov may have some tasking in the North Sea; worth watching to see if it slows down, or if AIS reporting ceases over the coming hours