184th Water Area Protection Brigade
Organizational Overview
The 184th Water Area Protection Brigade of the Russian Navy Black Sea Fleet is responsible for securing the approaches, anchorages, and harbor facilities of the Novorossiysk Naval Base and adjacent littoral areas. Open source reporting attributes to the brigade the 170th Minesweeper Division and the 181st Anti-Submarine Ship Division, alongside anti-saboteur and landing craft elements. The user-provided order of battle lists the following vessels: 170th Minesweeper Division comprising Project 12660 minesweeper Zheleznyakov 901, Project 266ME minesweepers Valentin Pikul 770 and Vice-Admiral Zakharyin 908, and Project 21980 anti-saboteur craft P-191 Kadet 840, P-349 Suvorovets 841, P-350 Kursant Kirovets 842, P-355 Yunarmeyets Kryma 843, P-424 Kinel 837, P-433 844; landing elements comprising Project 11770 Serna craft D-144 575 and D-199 544, Project 1176 Akula craft D-295 542 and D-106 543, and Project 02510 BK-16 fast landing craft D-296 677 and D-309 655. The 181st Anti-Submarine Ship Division comprises Project 1124M Albatros small ASW ships Kasimov 055, Povorino 053, and Yeysk 054, and Project 22160 patrol ships Vasily Bykov 368, Dmitry Rogachev 375, Pavel Derzhavin 363, and Sergey Kotov 383.
Location and Basing
The brigade is based at the Novorossiysk Naval Base in Tsemess Bay, Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Krai, Russian Federation, approximately at 44.72N 37.77E. The base provides sheltered berths, ammunition and fuel storage, pier-side maintenance, and access to coastal logistics nodes along Russia’s Black Sea shoreline. Since 2022, multiple Black Sea Fleet surface units have been forward based or relocated to Novorossiysk due to elevated threat levels at Sevastopol, increasing the base’s operational load and the brigade’s water area protection duties.
Mission Set and Core Tasks
The brigade’s mission set includes base and anchorages defense, anti-saboteur security, mine countermeasures in approaches and coastal shipping lanes, anti-submarine surveillance and response in littoral waters, escort of naval and military logistics vessels, and contingency amphibious and special operations mobility in the near-shore zone. Tasks are executed in coordination with Black Sea Fleet command, naval aviation, coastal troops, and the Border Service of the FSB for maritime security and convoy control.
Mines Countermeasures Capabilities
The 170th Minesweeper Division provides minehunting and minesweeping along base perimeters, approach channels, and coastal routes. Project 266M ME class vessels commonly known in NATO as Natya class are steel-hulled oceangoing minesweepers equipped for mechanical, acoustic, and magnetic sweeping and often fitted with minehunting sonar and remotely operated gear for influence mines. Project 12660 Zheleznyakov is an ocean minesweeper of the late Soviet generation designed for deep-water mine countermeasures and high-capacity influence sweeping. Collectively, these assets support route surveys, post-strike clearance, and rapid reopening of harbor access after incidents or suspected mining.
Anti-Submarine Warfare Force
The 181st Anti-Submarine Ship Division fields Project 1124M Albatros small ASW ships NATO designation Grisha V optimized for littoral ASW. These fast patrol-size combatants typically carry a 76 mm gun, close-in weapon systems, RBU-6000 ASW rocket launchers, lightweight torpedoes, and a hull-mounted sonar suitable for shallow-water detection. They are intended to screen harbor approaches, prosecute contacts in constrained waters, and escort coastal convoys, operating in concert with shore-based sensors and, when available, Ka-27 series ASW helicopters.
Patrol and Escort Platforms
Project 22160 Vasily Bykov class patrol ships provide endurance for patrol, escort, and maritime security tasks. They feature a flight deck for a helicopter, a 76 mm main gun, machine guns, and electronic surveillance systems. In the Black Sea theater, open source imagery has repeatedly shown ad hoc deployment of Tor-M2KM short-range air defense modules on 22160 helidecks as a force protection adaptation against unmanned aerial and surface vehicle threats. The class lacks organic area air defense and relies on layered protection with other assets and coastal air defense coverage.
Anti-Saboteur and Port Security Assets
Project 21980 Grachonok anti-saboteur boats are specialized for base protection and close-in security. They are equipped with diver detection sonar, small arms and heavy machine gun mounts, anti-diver grenade launchers, and typically carry boarding teams. Their role includes patrol of inner and outer harbor booms, inspection of ship hulls and berths, response to underwater intrusions, and interception of small craft, including unmanned surface vehicles, in the near-defense zone.
Amphibious and Littoral Mobility
Project 11770 Serna and Project 1176 Akula landing craft provide short-range lift for equipment and troops between protected points along the coast and to austere shore sites. The Serna can carry approximately one main battle tank or multiple lighter vehicles at speeds around 30 knots, while the older Akula class carries similar payloads at lower speeds. Project 02510 BK-16 fast boats are high-speed assault craft typically able to carry a squad-size element approximately 19 personnel for boarding, insertion, or quick reinforcement missions in the coastal zone.
Infrastructure and Support
Novorossiysk Naval Base supports the brigade with piers, workshops, ordnance storage, fuel facilities, degaussing, tug and pilotage services, and protective harbor works including breakwaters and booms. Since 2022, satellite and ground imagery have shown expanded physical force-protection measures such as floating barriers and nets in key access channels to counter unmanned surface threats. Maintenance support is augmented by regional commercial shipyards and fleet repair assets capable of servicing patrol craft, minesweepers, and small combatants.
Operations and Activity Since 2022
From 2022 onward, the brigade’s assets have been active in escorting military logistics along Russia’s eastern Black Sea coast and through the Kerch Strait approaches, conducting routine MCM sweeps in coastal routes, and maintaining heightened anti-saboteur patrols at Novorossiysk. On 4 August 2023, Ukrainian uncrewed surface vehicles struck Novorossiysk harbor, damaging the landing ship Olenegorsky Gornyak, highlighting threat exposure at the base and the importance of the brigade’s port security posture. On 11 October 2023, the patrol ship Pavel Derzhavin was reported by Russian regional sources to have sustained damage near Sevastopol under contested circumstances. On 5 March 2024, Ukraine’s defense intelligence service published strike footage against the patrol ship Sergey Kotov near the Kerch Strait; independent open-source analysts assessed the ship as a loss following the attack, while Russian authorities did not officially confirm a sinking.
Command and Control and Interoperability
The brigade operates under Black Sea Fleet command through the Novorossiysk Naval Base. It coordinates closely with coastal defense units, naval aviation for surveillance and ASW support, and the FSB Border Service for maritime security, convoy escort procedures, and navigational control measures. Communications, radar picket, and coastal surveillance assets extend situational awareness over the approaches to Novorossiysk and the Taman peninsula logistics hubs.
Force Protection and Vulnerabilities
The operating environment features persistent threats from sea mines, uncrewed surface and aerial systems, and stand-off fires. Minesweepers mitigate explosive hazards but require sustained route surveys when threat activity is elevated. Small ASW ships are optimized for littoral engagements but have limited organic air defense, demanding layered protection and electronic warfare support. Patrol ships of Project 22160 have relied on add-on short-range air-defense modules in theater. Physical barriers, increased patrol density by Project 21980 boats, and rapid reaction procedures remain critical to counter close-in attacks against anchored vessels and port infrastructure.
Logistics and Sustainment
Sustainment is enabled by proximity to Russia’s eastern Black Sea logistical network, including rail and road links feeding Novorossiysk. The brigade’s mix of small and medium vessels allows high operational tempo in short-radius missions, but requires frequent maintenance intervals for minesweeping gear, sonar systems, and high-speed craft. Ammunition handling and explosive safety constraints influence berth assignments and patrol rotation planning, particularly during periods of intensified operations.
Notable Equipment Details
Project 1124M Albatros small ASW ships are fast, shallow-draft combatants tailored for near-shore submarine and sub-surface contact prosecution with rocket-propelled depth charges and lightweight torpedoes. Project 22160 patrol ships emphasize endurance and modularity, featuring a 76 mm gun and sensor suite, with fielded Tor-M2KM modules documented on helidecks in the Black Sea area as a theater adaptation. Project 266M ME minesweepers employ mechanical and influence sweeps and minehunting sonar; Project 12660 provides deep-water MCM capability. Project 21980 Grachonok boats integrate diver detection sonar and anti-diver weapons for close-in defense. Project 11770 Serna and Project 1176 Akula landing craft offer tactical lift for vehicles and troops, while Project 02510 BK-16 high-speed boats enable rapid insertions and interdiction.
Intelligence Gaps and Caveats
Specific current readiness levels, manning, detailed sensor fits by hull, and precise basing arrangements within the Novorossiysk harbor complex are not publicly available. Several incident reports since 2022 are contested or only partially corroborated by open-source imagery. Where loss or damage is described, the assessment is based on publicly released footage and independent analytic consensus where available; official Russian confirmations are limited. Further high-confidence assessment would require additional imagery, port call logs, or official fleet documentation.