Britain’s defense intelligence reports on Russia’s first major strategic naval exercise in two years

Naval exercises. Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

The Russian Navy’s extensive Okean-24 strategic exercises, which took place from September 10 to 16, were the focus of the UK Defense Intelligence Agency’s latest intelligence review.

Source: UK Defense Intelligence update on X (Twitter) October 13, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The department said the exercises came after a two-year break.

Advertising:

Until 2022, Russia was scheduled to hold annual exercises with all its armed forces, but the last two were effectively canceled due to the start of full-scale war in Ukraine.

The Ocean 24 exercise was most likely an attempt to demonstrate capacity and capabilities in the face of war, the intelligence agency said.

According to Russian media, the exercises involved around 400 ships, 120 aircraft, 7,000 vehicles and 90,000 men deployed in the Barents Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean and the Caspian Sea, as well as in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans.

“The exercise took place in these areas, but Russia almost certainly greatly exaggerated these figures, with only about 300 ships currently available to participate,” the report said.

The Okean-24 exercises were not conducted in the Black Sea, most likely due to Ukrainian attacks in the first six months of 2024.

Previously, the UK Defense Intelligence Agency said that Russia’s average daily losses of dead and wounded in May and June 2024 had reached the highest level since the invasion of Ukraine began.

In addition, one of the previous updates described the situation surrounding the Vovchansk Aggregate Plant, which was recently liberated from Russian control by Ukrainian forces.

Support ON or become our patron!