The UK Ministry of Defence has released a new intelligence update on the recent large-scale Russian naval exercise, OKEAN-24, which took place between 10 and 16 September 2024.

The exercise, carried out by the Russian Federation Navy (RFN), was the first of its kind in two years, following a break likely caused by Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

According to the intelligence update, “Up until 2022, Russia would conduct an annual exercise involving all its armed forces – the Joint Strategic Exercise (JSE) – but the last two have been cancelled almost certainly as a consequence of the demands of the war in Ukraine.”

OKEAN-24 was described as a large-scale strategic exercise, which Russia likely intended to use to demonstrate its military reach and capability, despite the pressures of the ongoing conflict. Early reports from Russian media claimed the exercise would involve over 400 vessels, 120 aircraft, 7,000 vehicles, and 90,000 personnel.

The units were said to be conducting operations across the Barents, Baltic, Mediterranean, and Caspian Seas, as well as the Pacific and Arctic Oceans. However, the intelligence update cast doubt on these figures, stating that “Russia has almost certainly grossly exaggerated these figures as there are currently only around 300 vessels available to take part.”

One notable absence during the exercise was activity in the Black Sea, a region that has seen significant conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The intelligence update highlighted this omission, explaining, “No OKEAN-2024 activity took place in the Black Sea, highly likely because of Ukrainian attacks in the first six months of 2024.”

This reflects the continued impact of the war on Russia’s military operations, as Ukrainian forces have succeeded in limiting Russian capabilities in the region.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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28 COMMENTS

    • Wasn’t it the Russian Govt that exaggerated, not that in that Country or China indeed there is much difference between Govt and media.

      • The report attributes “initial Russian media reports”. The independence of the Russian media is of course debateable and whether the government would have to have given it a tacit nod at the very least may well be true, but the word initial makes me question how state-sanctioned the claim was.

        • The terrorist state is a kleptocratic dictatorship so The independence of the Russian media is of course non existent.

          Only laziness and incompetence stands between the FSB misinformation and their ruz media puppets.

          Control of the media with the objective of mass delusion is dictatorship 101.

  2. Counting only combat vessels they have:

    1 Aircraft carrier
    2 Battlecruisers
    2 Cruisers
    10 Destroyers
    12 Frigates
    ===
    27

    82 Corvettes
    3 Patrol ships
    120 Patrol boats
    ===
    205

    12 Ballistic missile submarines
    11 Cruise missile submarines
    13 Nuclear attack submarines
    21 Diesel attack submarines
    ===
    57

    Some are in refit some are being decommissioned, even counting support vessels I doubt they could get 300 to take part in one exercise.

        • It’s a wreck. One accident after another … they’ve formed a battalion for Ukraine from the crew. I read it also a posting for the less capable. They can’t afford to refit it with their need to spend for Ukraine. It will never go to sea again. Also I belive the only floating dock they have in the west sunk

  3. The main place I find MOD intelligence updates is X (and news reports that reference reports on X). However, I hate X. The inability to easily sort and page back makes it a terrible place for reports of record. Does anyone have a link to a direct store of Defence Intelligence Ukraine update reports, which I can look at, page through and search on?

    • Hardley an equivalent. But the Soviet first invasion of Finland and the initial Russian invasion of Ukraine are equivenlts

    • As Stalin acknowledged, the USSR would have lost to Germany without UK & US lend-lease (and the tank factories that, ironically, Germany built for them before the war)

      • I was about to mention that lend-lease was what saved the USSR, as well as a few other things. If you look at what was actually provided, it’s insane. Now largely forgotten about.

  6. What does Britain have other than forcefully maintaining some colony here and there like Falkland which is historically Argentinan land. If Britain claims that Falkland is theirs then Ukrainian land is of Slavic orgin and is of Russian land.

    • Why don’t you go away and read some facts.
      Argentina has NEVER owned the Falklands, except for a brief few months in 1982 when they illegally occupied the islands.
      Britain has owned the Islands since the 18th century.
      Ukrainian people do not consider themselves part of Russia. Otherwise they wouldn’t be fighting and dying for their freedom and democracy. They are fighting against a fascist country Russia, that is run by a dictator and a bunch of corrupt oligarchs, hell bent on a war of conquest.
      Those are the facts. I suggest you read some history books and learn the subject matter before you comment.

    • What Britain doesn’t have is blood on their hands by supporting the terrorist state that invaded Ukraine and continues to commit war crimes there. That dishonour is earned by the transactional government of India that enables sanction evasion and continues to purchase RF military products so funds the war in Ukraine.
      That’s a lot of Ukrainian Blood on their hands and clear demonstration that they can’t be trusted to uphold Shared Values.
      Shame on them, and Sanctions to follow..

  7. If you want a laugh look at Russian mod’s official list of destroyed Ukrainian equipment. You’ll see such gems as “540 aircraft destroyed, 580 air defense systems”. They really are trying to portray it to the Russian people like they’ve been fighting nato lol, I’ve no doubt most of them don’t believe it- but they’re happy to repeat the lie to eachother. Pretty fascinating coping mechanism lmao

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