36th Missile Boat Brigade
Unit Overview
The 36th Missile Boat Brigade (military unit 20963) is a Baltic Fleet surface strike formation headquartered at Baltiysk, Kaliningrad Oblast. It fields fast attack craft and small missile ships optimized for littoral operations, sea denial, and short‑notice strike tasks in the southeastern Baltic Sea. Public sources place the brigade within the Baltiysk Naval Base structure of the Russian Baltic Fleet.
Garrison and Location Analysis
Baltiysk Naval Base is located at the Baltic Strait that connects the Vistula (Kaliningrad) Lagoon to the Baltic Sea (approximate coordinates 54.64°N, 19.91°E). The base provides sheltered berths, fuel and ammunition handling for small surface combatants, with dredged access channels suitable for the brigade’s shallow‑draft craft. Its position places these ships within short transit of the Gulf of Gdańsk and broader southeastern Baltic operating areas, while they remain under the protection of the Kaliningrad region’s integrated air and coastal defense network.
Order of Battle and Status Notes
Reported subordinate elements include: 1st Guards Missile Boat Squadron with Project 12411M (Tarantul III/Molniya) missile boats R‑2 (side 870), R‑47 (819), R‑129 (852), R‑187 (855), R‑257 (833), R‑291 Dimitrovgrad (825), and R‑293 Morshansk (874); 106th Small Missile Ship Squadron with Project 12341 (Ovod‑1/Nanuchka III) small missile ships Geyzer (555), Zybr (560), Liven (551), and Passat (570). A further small missile ship element has been associated in open sources with Project 21631 (Buyan‑M) corvettes Zelenyy Dol (602) and Serpukhov (603). Both 21631 ships have been reassigned between fleets over time; as of April 2024, Serpukhov was publicly reported at Baltiysk following a claimed UAV strike, while the permanent assignment of Zelenyy Dol to this brigade requires verification. Side numbers can change and should not be treated as immutable identifiers.
Platform Capabilities — Project 12411M (Tarantul III/Molniya)
Project 12411M missile boats are fast attack craft of roughly 50–60 m length and approximately 500 t full load displacement, designed for high‑speed anti‑ship strike. A typical fit includes four P‑270 Moskit (SS‑N‑22) anti‑ship missiles, one AK‑176 76.2 mm gun, and two AK‑630 30 mm close‑in weapon systems, with short‑range MANPADS‑type air defense. Sensors generally include a surface search/navigation radar, fire‑control radar for the main gun, and a target‑acquisition set used to cue anti‑ship missiles; specific fits vary by hull and modernization state. Maximum speeds exceed 35 knots, enabling rapid coastal redeployment.
Platform Capabilities — Project 12341 (Ovod‑1/Nanuchka III)
Project 12341 small missile ships are larger than the Tarantul boats and typically carry six P‑120 Malakhit (SS‑N‑9) anti‑ship missiles, an AK‑176 76.2 mm gun, two AK‑630 close‑in systems, and an Osa‑MA short‑range SAM system (twin‑rail launcher with ready‑use missiles below deck). The class is optimized for anti‑ship strike in littoral waters, with organic radar suites for navigation, gunfire control, and missile targeting. Full‑load displacement is in the high‑hundreds of tons and maximum speed is on the order of 30+ knots.
Platform Capabilities — Project 21631 (Buyan‑M)
Project 21631 small missile ships (Buyan‑M) are river‑sea capable corvettes of about 74 m length and roughly 900–950 t full load displacement, notable for an eight‑cell UKSK 3S14 vertical launcher compatible with the Kalibr‑NK family of cruise missiles. A typical fit includes the A‑190 100 mm gun, two AK‑630 CIWS, and a short‑range Gibka launcher for Igla/Verba MANPADS. The class is diesel‑powered with shallow draft suitable for inland waterway transfer, and carries surface‑search and fire‑control radars appropriate to its gun and missile systems.
Weapons Systems and Effects
P‑270 Moskit is a sea‑skimming, supersonic anti‑ship missile family with published ranges from roughly 120 km (early variants) to about 200–240 km (later variants), designed for rapid terminal approach and heavy warhead delivery. P‑120 Malakhit is an anti‑ship missile with publicly reported ranges on the order of 110–150 km and supersonic terminal performance. The Kalibr‑NK family (employed via UKSK 3S14 on Project 21631) includes land‑attack cruise missiles (3M14) with ranges in excess of 1,500 km in Russian service according to official statements, and anti‑ship variants (3M54) with ranges of several hundred kilometers, subject to configuration. Osa‑MA provides point air defense out to approximately 10–15 km. Gun systems (AK‑176, A‑190) support surface, aerial, and shore bombardment tasks with dedicated fire‑control channels.
Aggregate Firepower (Notional)
If fully loaded, the 1st Guards Missile Boat Squadron’s seven Project 12411M hulls could field up to twenty‑eight Moskit rounds collectively (four per boat), while the 106th Small Missile Ship Squadron’s four Project 12341 hulls could field up to twenty‑four Malakhit rounds (six per ship). The presence of two Project 21631 would add sixteen UKSK cells capable of Kalibr‑NK family missiles. Actual embarked loads and missile variants are not publicly disclosed and can vary by mission and maintenance state; the figures above describe maximum design capacity, not confirmed on‑hand munitions.
Operational Role and Employment
The brigade’s ships conduct coastal patrols, readiness sorties, and anti‑ship and coastal strike training in the southeastern Baltic. Their primary role is sea denial against surface combatants and shipping within the Baltic’s confined littorals, and they integrate with coastal missile units and shore‑based ISR to extend targeting reach. Project 21631 units, when present, add a land‑attack option with Kalibr‑NK, demonstrated elsewhere by the class in Russian service. The brigade’s craft are frequently used in short‑duration sorties and dispersed basing within the Kaliningrad area to complicate targeting.
Command and Control Integration
The brigade operates under the Baltic Fleet and is based at Baltiysk Naval Base. In the Kaliningrad area, surface strike operations are typically coordinated with coastal missile forces (e.g., Bastion‑P and Bal systems deployed in the region) and regional air and air‑defense assets. This integration supports layered coastal defense and contributes to the region’s anti‑access/area‑denial posture by combining ship‑launched missiles, shore‑based missiles, and air defense coverage.
Infrastructure and Support
Baltiysk provides dedicated berths and afloat support, with routine maintenance support available locally (including the 33rd Ship Repair Plant at Baltiysk) and more extensive repair and modernization handled at regional facilities such as the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad. The fleet’s logistics in the enclave rely on seaborne delivery and rail/road links from within Kaliningrad Oblast, and the small size and shallow draft of the brigade’s ships facilitate relocation among local moorings and sheltered waters of the Vistula Lagoon when required.
Readiness and Sustainment Considerations
Project 12411M and 12341 hulls are legacy Soviet‑era designs that require periodic overhauls to sustain propulsion and combat systems; public reporting shows these classes remain active in the Baltic Fleet inventory. Project 21631 are newer and river‑sea capable, allowing transfers via inland waterways during inter‑theater reallocations, which Russia has used with small missile ships in recent years. Readiness levels are influenced by maintenance cycles, missile availability, and seasonal operating conditions in the Baltic; detailed readiness data are not publicly released.
Recent Activity and Notable Incidents
Project 21631 ships of the class—specifically Zelenyy Dol and Serpukhov—have been publicly reported launching Kalibr‑NK strikes from the Mediterranean in 2016 while assigned to the Black Sea Fleet. In April 2024, Ukraine’s defense intelligence directorate claimed a successful UAV strike against the Project 21631 ship Serpukhov at Baltiysk; video released by Ukraine showed an onboard explosion, while Russian official confirmation of damage was not issued. These events indicate that Serpukhov was present at Baltiysk in 2024; open sources differ on the permanent assignment of both 21631 hulls.
Security Environment and Vulnerabilities
The brigade’s operating area lies within a narrow sea space adjacent to NATO littoral waters, with constrained egress through the Baltiysk channel and predictable operating patterns around the Kaliningrad coastline. Small missile ships are vulnerable to air attack, long‑range precision strikes, and unmanned systems when not under robust air defense cover. The 2024 claimed UAV strike at Baltiysk illustrates the susceptibility of moored ships to stand‑off attacks. Conversely, the small size and shallow draft of these vessels afford dispersal options and use of sheltered waters to reduce exposure.
Data Reliability and Gaps
The unit designator (military unit 20963), location at Baltiysk, and squadron/ship identifications cited above are present in multiple open sources. However, the Russian Navy does not routinely publish real‑time orders of battle, assignment changes, or loadouts. Side numbers can change; ships undergo overhauls that temporarily remove them from service; and Project 21631 hulls in particular have shifted between fleets. Where assignment is uncertain—especially regarding Zelenyy Dol’s current basing—this analysis notes the ambiguity rather than inferring unconfirmed status.