64th Water Area Protection Brigade
Formation Overview
The 64th Water Area Protection Brigade (64th Brigade of Ships for the Protection of the Water Area; Russian: 64-я бригада кораблей охраны водного района) is a formation of the Russian Navy within the Leningrad Naval Base of the Baltic Fleet. Its mission set, consistent with Russian "OVR" (water area protection) tasks, covers defense of naval base approaches and nearby coastal waters, including anti‑submarine warfare (ASW) in littoral zones, mine countermeasures (MCM), escort and patrol duties, and the security of maritime approaches to St. Petersburg and Kronstadt. Subordinate elements include the 146th Anti‑Submarine Ship Tactical Group and the 323rd Minesweeper Squadron.
Basing and Location
The brigade is based at the Leningrad Naval Base, with principal berthing and support at Kronstadt on Kotlin Island (approx. 59.99 N, 29.77 E) in St. Petersburg. Additional nearby berthing and support areas exist around the eastern Gulf of Finland, including Lomonosov (Oranienbaum; approx. 59.91 N, 29.77 E). Operating areas for routine patrol and training include the Kronstadt roadstead, Neva Bay approaches, and the eastern Gulf of Finland. Access to Neva Bay transits the Saint Petersburg Flood Protection Complex navigation gates near Kronstadt, through which naval traffic must pass.
Order of Battle — 146th Anti‑Submarine Ship Tactical Group
Subordinate unit of the 64th Brigade focused on coastal ASW using Project 1331M small ASW ships (export lineage known as Parchim II): - MPK‑304 Urengoy (pennant 304) - MPK‑308 Zelenodolsk (pennant 308) - MPK‑218 Aleksin - MPK‑311 Kazanets (pennant 311) - MPK‑243 Kabardino‑Balkaria (pennant 243) - MPK‑232 Kalmykia (pennant 232) Note: MPK denotes malyy protivolodochnyy korabl (small anti‑submarine ship). Project 1331M ships were built in the late Cold War era for the Soviet Navy and remain in Baltic Fleet service.
Order of Battle — 323rd Minesweeper Squadron
Subordinate unit of the 64th Brigade providing mine countermeasures across base approaches and channels. Reported composition includes: Project 12650/E base minesweepers (Sonya‑class lineage): - Aleksey Lebedev (pennant 505) - BT‑212 (pennant 501) - BT‑213 Sergey Kolbasyev (pennant 522) - BT‑230 Leonid Sobolev (pennant 510) Project 13000 roadstead (harbor) minesweepers: - RT‑344 (pennant 326) - RT‑276 (pennant 353) Project 10750 inshore minesweepers (NATO reporting name: Lida‑class): - RT‑252 (pennant 239) - RT‑273 (pennant 310) - RT‑231 (pennant 219) - RT‑249 (pennant 206) Notes: BT denotes basovyy tralshchik (base minesweeper), and RT denotes raidovyy tralshchik (roadstead/harbor minesweeper).
Capabilities — Project 1331M Small ASW Ships
Project 1331M small anti‑submarine ships (Parchim II lineage) are coastal ASW corvettes optimized for shallow, confined waters such as the Gulf of Finland. They carry hull‑mounted sonar for short‑range submarine detection and are typically armed with ASW rocket launchers (e.g., RBU‑6000 12‑barrel), ASW torpedoes via shipboard launchers, and automatic naval guns for surface/self‑defense, with close‑in weapon systems on some units. These ships do not carry area air‑defense missile systems and are intended to operate under coastal and fleet air‑defense coverage. The series for the USSR was built at Peene‑Werft, Wolgast (GDR), in the late 1980s.
Capabilities — Project 1265/12650 Base Minesweepers
Project 1265/12650 base minesweepers (Sonya‑class lineage) provide mine countermeasures in approaches and base channels. They use low‑magnetic signature hull construction and are equipped with mechanical, acoustic, and electromagnetic influence sweeps, plus mine‑detection sonar. Their role includes locating, classifying, and clearing moored and ground influence mines typical of the Baltic Sea’s legacy mine threat. These vessels are suited to base and near‑coastal operations and are long‑serving elements of Russian MCM forces.
Capabilities — Project 10750 Inshore Minesweepers
Project 10750 inshore minesweepers (NATO: Lida‑class; Russian program name commonly cited as Sapfir) are smaller, shallow‑draft platforms designed for harbor and roadstead MCM. They use non‑magnetic (often fiberglass‑reinforced) hulls and are fitted with mine‑hunting sonar and associated mine neutralization tools; some units are equipped to support clearance divers and remotely operated mine disposal systems. Their primary function is to ensure safe navigation in port waters and immediate approaches.
Capabilities — Project 13000 Roadstead Minesweepers
Project 13000 roadstead (harbor) minesweepers are small MCM craft used in protected waters for mine detection and clearance of channels and anchorages. They perform mechanical sweeping and support near‑port mine clearance tasks. Their employment is within harbor limits and adjacent coastal areas due to limited seakeeping relative to base or ocean minesweepers.
Missions and Operational Tasks
Core tasks of the 64th Brigade include: (1) ASW screening, patrols, and barrier operations in the eastern Gulf of Finland and approaches to Kronstadt/St. Petersburg; (2) mine countermeasures for base channels, fairways, and transit routes through the Saint Petersburg Flood Protection Complex gates; (3) escort of military and state shipping within the base defense area; and (4) routine patrols and readiness training to maintain navigational safety and base security. These tasks align with Russian Navy water area protection (OVR) doctrine for coastal defense and base protection.
Operating Environment
The eastern Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland present a constrained, shallow‑water environment with dense commercial traffic and seasonal ice. Ice conditions in the Gulf of Finland typically require icebreaker support for winter navigation. The region remains contaminated by legacy naval mines from the World Wars, necessitating regular MCM activity in approach channels and roadsteads. Shallow depths and complex bottom topography influence ASW tactics and sensor performance, favoring short‑range, littoral‑optimized ASW platforms.
Infrastructure and Support
Brigade vessels are supported by the Leningrad Naval Base’s repair and logistics infrastructure around Kronstadt, including the Kronstadt Marine Plant (Kronshtadtskiy Morskoy Zavod), which conducts docking and repair for Baltic Fleet units based in the area. Base support includes fueling, ammunition handling, and technical supply facilities at Kronstadt piers and adjacent berthing locations. Winter operations are facilitated by regional icebreaking services to maintain access to base waters and navigation gates.
Command Relationships
The 64th Water Area Protection Brigade is subordinate to the Leningrad Naval Base, which is a component of Russia’s Baltic Fleet. The Baltic Fleet headquarters is in Kaliningrad. The brigade’s subordinate units listed here—the 146th Anti‑Submarine Ship Tactical Group and the 323rd Minesweeper Squadron—conduct OVR missions in support of the Leningrad Naval Base’s defense requirements.
Equipment Age and Modernization Context
The brigade’s Project 1331M small ASW ships and Project 1265/12650 minesweepers are legacy platforms originating from the late Cold War period but remain in active service. In the broader Leningrad Naval Base area, the Baltic Fleet has introduced newer MCM capability with Project 12700 (Alexandrite) mine countermeasures vessels in recent years; open sources report at least one such unit, Aleksandr Obukhov, operating from the St. Petersburg/Kronstadt area. Specific assignment of newer classes to the brigade’s internal structure is not publicly detailed in authoritative sources.
Readiness and Activity (Open‑Source Indicators)
Russian Ministry of Defense and regional media periodically report ASW and MCM training by Baltic Fleet units in the Gulf of Finland, including patrols, minesweeping drills, and base defense exercises. Such reporting generally confirms ongoing routine training and operational patrols by small ASW ships and minesweepers from the Leningrad Naval Base. Detailed readiness states, patrol schedules, and current unit locations are not publicly disclosed.
Notes on Designations and Data Confidence
Designations provided follow Russian project numbering and service prefixes: MPK (small ASW ship), BT (base minesweeper), RT (roadstead minesweeper). NATO reporting names commonly used in open sources include Parchim II (Project 1331M) and Lida (Project 10750); Project 1265/12650 minesweepers align with the Sonya‑class lineage. Pennant numbers and ship names may change over time due to reassignments or renumbering; the lists herein reflect the identifiers provided and commonly reported open‑source usage. Detailed internal command structures, exact pier assignments, maintenance schedules, and operational tasking are not publicly available.