The exercise, which took place from September 10 to 16, was the first of its kind in two years and was conducted by the Russian Federation Navy (RFN)......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
However, the last two were cancelled, “almost certainly as a consequence of the demands of the war in Ukraine”. OKEAN-24, described as a large-scale exercise, was likely intended to showcase reach and capability despite the pressures of the ongoing war.
Initial reports from Russian media claimed the exercise would involve over 400 vessels, 120 aircraft, 7,000 vehicles and 90,000 personnel, operating in the Barents, Baltic, Mediterranean and Caspian Sea, as well as the Pacific and Arctic Oceans.
Despite confirmation of exercises in these areas, the Ministry of Defence asserts: “Russia has almost certainly grossly exaggerated these figures as there are currently only around 300 vessels available to take part.”
Even without a substantial navy, Ukraine has managed to wreak havoc on Russia’s Black Sea fleet over the last couple of years, with drone and missile strikes knocking out a third of their ships.
According to Intelligence Updates, “no OKEAN-2024 activity took place in the Black Sea, highly likely because of Ukrainian attacks in the first six months of 2024”.
Ukraine’s successful strikes on Putin’s forces are a clear sign of the ongoing toll the war is taking on Russian military might.