68th Water Area Protection Brigade
Unit Identification and Alignment
The 68th Water Area Protection Brigade (BrOVR), military unit 26977, is an area-defense formation of the Russian Navy tasked with protecting the approaches and waters of a naval base. Open-source reporting places this brigade at the Baltiysk Naval Base in Kaliningrad Oblast under the Baltic Fleet. The formation’s functions include anti-submarine defense of base approaches, mine countermeasures, escort of base-bound traffic, and anti-sabotage security within the base area and adjacent littorals.
Mission Profile
Water Area Protection Brigades provide close-in, persistent defense of naval base waters and approaches. Typical tasks include patrol and barrier anti-submarine warfare (ASW), detection and neutralization of mines, route and channel clearance, protection of anchorages, escort of submarines and auxiliaries, and cooperation with naval aviation and anti-sabotage detachments for harbor security. These brigades are structured around small ASW ships and dedicated minesweepers optimized for confined and shallow waters.
Basing and Area of Operations
Baltiysk Naval Base is the principal operating site for the Baltic Fleet’s surface combatants and security forces. The 68th BrOVR conducts operations in the approaches to Baltiysk, the Gulf of Gdansk, and adjacent Baltic littorals. The brigade’s minesweepers and small ASW ships are suited to the region’s shallow, cluttered seabed and high-density maritime traffic. (For the Black Sea Fleet, comparable water area protection tasks are executed from Sevastopol and Novorossiysk; see order-of-battle validation notes regarding the enumerated minesweepers.)
Subordinate Divisions and Enumerated Composition
The following subordinate elements are associated with the 68th BrOVR structure: 1) 400th Anti-Submarine Ship Division (small ASW ships, Project 1124M Albatros/Grisha V): Aleksandrovets (pennant 059), Muromets (064), Suzdalets (071). 2) 418th Minesweeper Division: a) Project 266M Akvamarin-M ocean minesweepers: Ivan Golubets (pennant 911), Kovrovets (913); b) Project 12700 Aleksandrit mine countermeasure ships: Ivan Antonov, Vladimir Yemelyanov, Georgy Kurbatov.
Order-of-Battle Validation Notes
There is a fleet-assignment mismatch within the enumerated list: Aleksandrovets (059), Muromets (064), and Suzdalets (071) are Project 1124M small ASW ships widely reported as Baltic Fleet assets based at Baltiysk. In contrast, Ivan Golubets (Project 266M, pennant 911) and Kovrovets (Project 266M, pennant 913) are widely reported as Black Sea Fleet minesweepers based at Sevastopol. The Project 12700 ships Ivan Antonov (commissioned 2019), Vladimir Yemelyanov (commissioned 2019), and Georgy Kurbatov (commissioned 2021) are also reported in open sources as Black Sea Fleet assets. Additionally, open sources identify Aleksandr Obukhov as the Baltic Fleet’s first Project 12700 unit with pennant 601; some lists that attribute 601 to Ivan Antonov are inconsistent with this widely reported assignment. The composition provided therefore appears to combine elements from the Baltic Fleet (Baltiysk) and Black Sea Fleet (Sevastopol/Novorossiysk).
Project 1124M Small Anti-Submarine Ships (Grisha V) – Capabilities
Role: littoral and approaches ASW for base protection. Characteristics (typical for the class): length approximately 70–72 m, full-load displacement around 1,000–1,200 t, maximum speed about 32–34 kn, and range suited to coastal patrol. Sensors typically include a hull-mounted sonar and a variable-depth sonar. Armament generally comprises an AK-176 76 mm gun, close-in weapons (e.g., AK-630), ASW rocket launchers (RBU-6000), and lightweight ASW torpedoes; short-range SAM (Osa-MA) is present on many units for point defense. The class is optimized for short-notice ASW patrols and barrier lines in confined waters.
Project 266M Akvamarin-M Ocean Minesweepers (NATO: Natya) – Capabilities
Role: ocean and coastal mine countermeasures, route clearance, and protection of base approaches. Characteristics (typical): length about 60–61 m, full-load displacement in the 800–900 t range, maximum speed around 15–16 kn. Equipment includes mechanical, acoustic, and influence sweeps, minehunting sonar, and provisions for diver operations and explosive ordnance disposal. Armament is limited, typically light guns for self-defense. These vessels are intended to detect and neutralize a wide spectrum of influence and contact mines to keep access channels and anchorages open.
Project 12700 Aleksandrit Mine Countermeasure Ships – Capabilities
Role: modern minehunting and mine neutralization using low-signature platforms and unmanned systems. Characteristics (typical): length about 62 m, composite monolithic fiberglass hull to reduce magnetic/acoustic signatures, full-load displacement around 800 t, maximum speed approximately 16 kn. The class integrates a high-frequency minehunting sonar and deployable unmanned surface and underwater vehicles (USV/ROV) for stand-off detection and neutralization. Armament is light and focused on self-defense; the principal effectors are the unmanned MCM systems and EOD divers. Units commissioned from 2016 onward progressively replaced legacy Natya-class platforms in priority fleets.
Recent Developments and Notable Incidents (2019–2024)
Project 12700 deliveries: Ivan Antonov was accepted into service in January 2019; Vladimir Yemelyanov followed in late 2019; Georgy Kurbatov entered service in 2021. Open sources report these as Black Sea Fleet assignments. In the Black Sea theater, a multi-axis aerial and surface drone attack on Sevastopol on 29 October 2022 led the UK Ministry of Defence to assess that the minesweeper Ivan Golubets (Project 266M) likely sustained damage; Russian authorities acknowledged repelling the attack but did not provide detailed damage reporting. On 14 November 2023, Ukrainian sources claimed the destruction of the minesweeper Kovrovets (Project 266M) near Sevastopol by uncrewed surface vehicles; Russian authorities did not confirm the loss publicly, and independent confirmation remains limited in open sources.
Infrastructure and Support Elements Relevant to OVR Operations
OVR brigades rely on naval base infrastructure that includes berthing for small combatants, ammunition and fuel storage, maintenance and repair facilities, route survey charts for harbor approaches, and coordination with anti-sabotage detachments and harbor defense sensors. Baltiysk Naval Base provides the Baltic Fleet with such facilities for small ASW ships and minesweepers operating in the Gulf of Gdansk region. Comparable infrastructure for Black Sea Fleet OVR forces is concentrated at Sevastopol, with additional capacity at Novorossiysk. Specific quantities of stores, detailed readiness data, and pier assignments are not publicly available.
Capability Assessment and Limitations
The enumerated force mix reflects a typical OVR balance: small ASW ships (Project 1124M) furnish rapid-response littoral ASW coverage, while minesweepers (Project 266M and Project 12700) ensure access by clearing and monitoring routes. Strengths include platform specialization for shallow, congested waters and the introduction of modern, unmanned MCM capabilities on Project 12700 ships. Limitations include the aging of Project 1124M and Project 266M hulls and their limited air defense, making them dependent on base air defenses, aviation, and layered fleet protection in higher-threat environments.
Data Reliability and Outstanding Gaps
Unit designators and platform classes are well documented in open sources; however, the enumerated order of battle combines Baltic Fleet assets (the 400th Division’s Project 1124M ships at Baltiysk) with minesweepers that open sources assign to the Black Sea Fleet (Ivan Golubets, Kovrovets, and the listed Project 12700 ships). Hull pennant 601 is widely associated with Aleksandr Obukhov (Baltic Fleet), not Ivan Antonov. Detailed current readiness levels, precise basing pier assignments, and classified operational procedures are not publicly available.