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Russian frigate heads for Baltic Sea: Putin has no other choice because of the Ukraine war

2023-05-09T19:15:58.007Z

Highlights: "Admiral Grigorovich" is a frigate that has been in service with Russia since 2016. The ship is almost 125 meters long and has almost 200 crew members. The frigate is considered a modern warship with cruise missiles and anti-aircraft weapons. Since Putin's armed forces have no safe ports in the Mediterranean, the ship had to be brought into the Baltic Sea because of the ban on passage on the Bosporus, Sebastian Bruns of the Kiel Institute for Security Policy says.



The guided missile frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" in the Mediterranean Sea. The ship belongs to the Black Sea Fleet and was transferred to the Baltic Sea. © Russian Defence Ministry Tartus Syria/imago

A frigate from Russia was transferred to the Baltic Sea. The "Admiral Grigorovich" is considered a strong warship of President Putin and cannot return to Crimea.

Moscow/Pillau – It already played an important role in the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and is probably also an important building block in Russia's war planning for the Ukraine war: Vladimir Putin's Black Sea Fleet. Although the warships have also been taking part in combat operations since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Putin's admirals have had to make do without a flagship. The frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" has been in the Mediterranean for the past few months due to a ban on passage. Now follows the latest development: The ship has been relocated to the Baltic Sea. The frigate is considered a modern warship with cruise missiles and anti-aircraft weapons.

Russia's fleet in the Baltic Sea is getting stronger: "Admiral Grigorovich" cannot return to Crimea due to Ukraine war

Is this a possible turning point in the Ukraine war? Presumably not: While numerous Russian troop movements are viewed with suspicion by the West and interpreted as having a possible impact on the current war, there is a simple reason for the relocation of the warship: Russia presumably has no other choice. The lead ship of the "Admiral Grigorovich" class has had an eventful history since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine: While the Black Sea Fleet had to do without its flagship during the first months of the war, the frigate supported the squadron in the Mediterranean.

As reported by the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), a return was not possible due to the Treaty of Montreux. The fact that the ship has now appeared in the Baltic Sea is therefore a logical consequence. Since Putin's armed forces have no safe ports in the Mediterranean, the ship had to be brought into the Baltic Sea because of the ban on passage on the Bosporus, Sebastian Bruns of the Kiel Institute for Security Policy is quoted as saying. Because the "Admiral Grigorovich" shares the fate of many flagships of Russia: the ship will have to be overhauled in a shipyard. The nearest port is Kaliningrad, where the frigate was built from 2010 to 2016.

Russia's Black Sea Fleet: Putin's numerous dilapidated warships lie in the Norwegian Sea

Since the escalation of the Ukraine war, there have been repeated news about Putin's Black Sea Fleet. As a rule, it was reported that the Russian Navy was mostly dilapidated and not operational. The nuclear cruiser "Pyotr Veliki" is probably about to end because of repair costs. Tass, the state-run news agency of Russia, reported in April of a possible maintenance backlog that had become a cost trap. A little later, the news was revised by another news agency – but the question of the operational capability of Vladimir Putin's fleet remains. Meanwhile, the Baltic Sea has become the scene of a new "Cold War": Again and again, fighter jets from neighboring nations intercept each other.

Flagship of the Black Sea Fleet: this is the Admiral Grigorovich

Putin's navy has numerous warships divided into different fleets. In connection with the Ukraine war, the Black Sea Fleet is particularly challenged. The "Admiral Grigorovich" is a frigate that has been in service with Russia since 2016. Actually, she is stationed in the Crimea. The ship is almost 125 meters long and has almost 200 crew members. In terms of armament, the Navy relies on several launchers for guided missiles of the Kalibr type and anti-aircraft missiles. In addition, there are depth charges and torpedoes.

Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, the Russian Black Sea Fleet has been involved in various acts of war. Among other things, the ships are supposed to operate near the Crimea and the so-called Snake Island. The sinking of the flagship Moskva on April 14 after a Ukrainian attack caused a stir. It was not until the beginning of 2023 that Russia's only aircraft carrier, the "Admiral Kuznetsov", was in the headlines. The ship has also been in repair docks for a long time and, after several incidents, is said to be in critical condition and not seaworthy.

"Admiral Grigorovich" belongs to the Black Sea Fleet: Putin's navy plays no role in the Ukraine war

The current transfer of the "Admiral Grigorovich" to the Baltic Sea was accompanied by a major naval maneuver by Russia: two corvettes of the Baltic Fleet and a tanker of the Northern Fleet accompanied the warship. While the West and NATO are closely monitoring Russia's current naval maneuvers, there have been new developments in Putin's ships in recent weeks. Apart from the land war in Ukraine, in which the counteroffensive of the Ukrainians recently put pressure on Russia's armed forces and even the Wagner Group Bakhmut is said to have given up, Russian ships are repeatedly spotted in the adjacent waters of the Baltic Sea.

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In connection with the possible attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipeline last year, there have also been growing indications that Russian ships had previously carried out "conspicuous" maneuvers in the region. Nevertheless, after almost a year of the Ukraine war, experts note that Putin's navy has hardly played a significant role in the conflict. (febu

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Source: merkur

All news articles on 2023-05-09

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