Malta Naval Visits – RFS MB-304 – 23-28.10.2012
On Thursday 25th October, 2012 the Russian Navy Sorum Class (Project 745) Ocean Going Tug MB-304 entered Grand Harbour, Malta for the first time berthing at Boiler Wharf. She was built at the Yaroslav Zavod Shipyard as yard no 409 in 1973 and commissioned 29th July 1977 and was assigned to the Black Sea Fleet. […]
Naval News – Russian Navy warships denied entry into the Black Sea – November 2022
Russian Pacific Fleet’s warships had been waiting for Turkey’s permission to cross the Bosporus into the Black Sea since early February, but Ankara never allowed them to enter. According to Andriy Klymenko, head of the Monitoring Group of the Institute of Strategic Studies of the Black Sea and editor-in-chief of the BlackSeaNews portal, the warships have been […]
Russia-Ukraine War – Ukrainian Navy destroy Russian Navy RFS ORSK BDK 148 – 24.03.2022
On Thursday 24th March a Russian Navy Project 1171 Tapir Class landing ship (NATO reporting name as Alligator) RFS ORSK BDK 148 was destroyed with 2 other naval vessels damaged in the occupied Ukrainian port city of Berdiansk by the Ukrainian Military. 24 hours before this was the scene while she was discharging military equipment […]
Ukraine Crisis – Russian Navy captured Ukrainian SAR tug in Ukrainian waters – 26.02.2022
With unconfirmed reports that the Ukrainian Navy was destroyed by the Russian forces , the Russian Navy captured the Ukrainian SAR tug SAPFIR off Zmeiniy Island known also as Snake Island. SAPFIR berthed at Grand Harbour, Malta in 1989. Her communication was lost and she was deployed in unspecified mission in Ukraine SAR Region . […]
Passenger Ships – PALOMA I
One of the Polish built ships originally bound for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was the 1980 built ferry DMITRIY SHOSTAKOVICH from a Class of 7 as Project B492/B493 by Stocznia Szczecinska im Adolfa Warskiego Warskiego in Szczecin, Poland. She was the lead of her class which she was named for the Soviet era Russian composer […]
RoRo Vessels – ALEXANDERHAVEN
The first ship from a Class of 22 known as Project Neva 1607 and 16073 ( The project was developed at the Baltsudoproekt Central Design Bureau ) built for USSR owners and 2 for Jadranska Plovidba, Yugoslavia in Leningrad, USSR was the 1979 built roro ship IVAN SKURIDIN. Built as yard 821 at the A. Zhdanov […]
Casualties – VOLGO-BALT 179 sinks with fatalities – 11.03.2021
On Thursday 11th March, 2021 around 0440 hrs local time the vessel VOLGO-BALT 179 with 13 crew sent out a distress call while she was on her way to Constanta, Romania from Russia in a storm with 4 metres swell. One of the vessels that deployed in response to the call was the diving support […]
Broken Up – Roro ship SPEYBANK – 2009
One of the Finnish built vessels for the Soviet Union shipping industry was the OKHA seen here as the SPEYBANK owned by the Bank Line (Andrew Weir Shipping Ltd., UK. In the late 1970s Sudoimport, the Soviet foreign trade organization with a monopoly for the foreign trade of ships, requested for tenders for the design and construction of […]
Demolitioned Naval Vessel – RFS KERCH 753 – April 2020
On 15th February 2020 after 45 years of service the Kara Class missile cruiser RFS KERCH 753 was decommissioned. She was laid down in the Soviet Union on 30th April 1971, launched on 21st July 1972 and was commissioned in the Soviet Black Sea Fleet on 25th December 1974. The ship was built at the 61 […]
Naval News – RFS KERCH 713 decommissioned – 15.02.2020
After 45 years of service, the Kara Class Cruiser RFS KERCH 713 was decommissioned. She was the last cruiser of her class – Type 1134B Project. RFS KERCH was laid down in the Soviet Union on the 30th April 1971, launched on the 21st July 1972 and was commissioned in the Soviet Black Sea Fleet […]
