In a distinctive display of military openness, Russia’s Northern Fleet extended an invitation to military attachés from an assortment of so-called “friendly countries” to step aboard its nuclear submarines at Severomorsk. This visit, confined to allies and excluding any NATO member states, marks a shift in Russian military engagement with international partners amidst heightened global tensions.
The group, not featuring NATO allies such as neighboring Norway due to ceased military cooperation following the annexation of Crimea in 2014, included representatives from countries like North Korea, Iraq, Belarus, and various states across South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The event, however, witnessed a conspicuous drop in participation from 2017, when over 100 attaches from 65 countries attended. This year, the head of the foreign delegation was Major General Abbas Said Radha al-Musawi, Iraq’s defense attaché to Moscow, who expressed gratitude for the “warm welcome” and highlighted the importance of such interactions in fostering positive international military relations.
Russia’s navy, under the helm of newly appointed Northern Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Konstantin Kabantsov, has been active internationally, with warships navigating global waters, including port calls to South Africa and joint naval exercises in the South Atlantic. This recent initiative to usher in diplomats onto the Orel and Krasnoyarsk nuclear-powered submarines is perceived as another step toward bolstering Russia’s international military cooperation.
The Orel is a 32-years old Oscar-II class submarine, a sister-vessel to the ill-fated Kursk that sank in the Barents Sea in August 2000, killing all 118 crew members onboard. The Krasnoyarsk is the newest Yasen-M class submarine, commissioned in December last year.
The diplomatic approach coincides with the fleet’s frigate, Admiral Gorshkov, setting off on a prolonged voyage in the Atlantic along with support vessels, demonstrating Russia’s sustained naval projection.
Meanwhile, a distinct absence of Norwegian participation was noted not only in this diplomatic tour but also in the Barents 2024 search and rescue (SAR) exercises, signifying a persistent estrangement. Since Norway halted all military collaboration with Russia post-2014, and further following Russia’s full-scale offensive against Ukraine, joint operations in the Barents Sea have been suspended. Though Norway received informational updates regarding the Russian SAR exercises, the reciprocity ended. Despite the severance of routine collaborative drills, Rune Danielsen from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre for Northern Norway elucidated that an operative agreement on SAR in the Barents Sea remains active for real emergencies, ensuring essential cooperation persists in times of genuine need.
Relevant articles:
– Military attachés from ‘friendly’ countries embarked nuclear submarines , The Independent Barents Observer, 05/24/2024
– Russia conducts Barents SAR exercise without Norwegian participants, The Independent Barents Observer, 05/24/2024
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