Caspian Flotilla
Caspian Flotilla Overview
The Caspian Flotilla is the Russian Navy formation responsible for the landlocked Caspian Sea. Its missions include sea control, protection of maritime infrastructure and economic interests, coastal defense for Astrakhan Oblast and the Republic of Dagestan, support to river–sea logistics, and long‑range precision strike in support of joint operations. The formation is part of the Navy and operates under the joint command framework of the Southern Military District for theater‑level tasks. Its force set comprises surface combatants, amphibious and mine countermeasures vessels, naval infantry, coastal missile units, anti‑sabotage detachments, and search‑and‑rescue elements.
Headquarters and Command
Headquarters functions are located in Astrakhan, and open sources in 2024 identify Rear‑Admiral Alexander Peshkov as the commander of the formation. The headquarters exercises command over basing points and units in Astrakhan, Kaspiysk (Republic of Dagestan), and Makhachkala. Administratively the flotilla reports to the Navy’s Main Command; operationally it is integrated into the Southern Military District, ensuring coordination with coastal troops, air defense, and other joint assets.
Basing and Infrastructure (Astrakhan, Kaspiysk, Makhachkala)
The primary operational base is at Kaspiysk on the Dagestan coast, following the 2018 relocation of the flotilla’s main base from the Astrakhan delta to deeper‑water installations. Astrakhan retains headquarters, logistics, training, and ship support functions and provides riverine access via the Volga–Caspian Sea Shipping Canal. A naval station at Makhachkala augments patrol and logistics along the western Caspian. The move to Kaspiysk addressed long‑standing draft and siltation constraints in the Volga delta and enabled year‑round access for larger combatants.
Surface Forces and Strike Capability
Core combatants include the Gepard‑class frigate Dagestan (Project 11661K) with a UKSK vertical launcher for 3M14 Kalibr land‑attack and 3M54/91R anti‑ship/ASW missiles; Buyan‑M class corvettes (Project 21631) such as Grad Sviyazhsk, Uglich, and Veliky Ustyug, each with an eight‑cell UKSK; and Buyan class small artillery ships (Project 21630) including Astrakhan, Volgodonsk, and Makhachkala. Supporting forces comprise mine countermeasure vessels, landing craft (e.g., Projects 11770 and 21820), anti‑sabotage boats (Project 21980 Grachonok), and auxiliaries. The flotilla does not operate submarines; its precision‑strike capacity resides on Kalibr‑capable surface platforms.
Precision‑Strike Employment History
On 7 October 2015, Caspian Flotilla ships launched 26 3M14 Kalibr cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea against targets in Syria; publicly identified firing units included Dagestan, Grad Sviyazhsk, Uglich, and Veliky Ustyug. Additional Kalibr salvos were conducted later in 2015. Since February 2022, Russian Ministry of Defense communiqués have repeatedly attributed long‑range Kalibr strikes against targets in Ukraine to ships operating from the Caspian Sea, exploiting internal flight corridors across Russian airspace. These episodes underscore the theater‑level reach of the flotilla’s surface strike group beyond the Caspian basin.
Coastal Troops and Naval Infantry
The flotilla includes naval infantry and coastal defense assets that provide littoral security and amphibious capability. The 177th Separate Naval Infantry Regiment is garrisoned in Kaspiysk and conducts amphibious assault and expeditionary security tasks along Dagestan’s coast and the Volga delta approaches. Coastal missile units equipped with Bal (SSC‑6) systems armed with Kh‑35/Kh‑35U anti‑ship missiles are deployed in the region under flotilla control, providing shore‑based sea‑denial coverage of the western Caspian. These forces routinely exercise with surface combatants to integrate coastal fires and landing operations.
102nd PDSS Counteraction Special Purpose Detachment (military unit 72969)
The 102nd PDSS detachment is the flotilla’s specialized anti‑sabotage force responsible for underwater and harbor security at basing points and for protecting ships, piers, and critical waterfront infrastructure against combat swimmers, limpet mines, and unmanned underwater threats. Typical equipment for such detachments includes Project 21980 Grachonok anti‑sabotage boats with diver‑detection sonar and DP‑65A remotely operated anti‑saboteur grenade launchers, fast RIBs, fixed and portable booms/nets, handheld DP‑64 grenade launchers, and diving/EOD gear for inspection and clearance. The detachment conducts continuous patrols and inspections supporting Astrakhan, Kaspiysk, and Makhachkala. Specific manning levels, alert postures, and detailed procedures are not publicly disclosed.
293rd Search and Rescue Operations Command Rescue Squad (military unit 15119)
The 293rd rescue squad provides maritime search‑and‑rescue (SAR), diving, and salvage support to the flotilla. Core tasks include recovery of personnel, towing and firefighting assistance to distressed vessels, underwater inspection and clearance, and support to weapons training ranges and diving operations. The squad typically operates rescue tugs and diving support craft (including modern 23040G‑series rescue/diving boats fielded across the Navy’s SAR service) and maintains deployable decompression and medical capabilities for diving contingencies. It coordinates with the Navy’s Search‑and‑Rescue Service and, as required, with EMERCOM and regional authorities. Detailed equipment inventories and readiness metrics are not publicly released.
Security Measures at Basing Points
Base protection in the Caspian sector employs layered physical security, PDSS patrols, fixed and mobile diver‑detection sonar, booms and nets, illumination and surveillance systems, and quick‑reaction boat teams. Anti‑sabotage measures are integrated into the daily movement of Kalibr‑capable ships, ammunition handling, and visiting ship controls. Routine exercises test anti‑swimmer, EOD, and counter‑UUV responses in Astrakhan and Dagestan waters. Exact layouts of security installations, patrol patterns, and control system configurations are classified or not publicly available.
Logistics and Industrial Support
Regional industry underpins the flotilla’s sustainment. Project 21631 corvettes are produced by the Zelenodolsk Plant named after A. M. Gorky and delivered via the Volga; Astrakhan‑area facilities support repair and construction of auxiliaries, including modern rescue and tug vessels. The Volga–Caspian Sea Shipping Canal enables river–sea movement of ships and materiel, though depth and siltation management are enduring constraints mitigated by the concentration of primary operations at the deeper‑water base in Kaspiysk.
Training, Exercises, and Readiness Activities
The flotilla regularly conducts joint and naval training, including the “Kavkaz” strategic exercise series under the Southern Military District, live‑fire gunnery and missile events, amphibious drills with naval infantry, mine countermeasures, PDSS base‑defense scenarios, and complex SAR/diving tasks. In 2020, the Ministry of Defense reported that more than 50 ships and craft operated in the Caspian during Kavkaz‑2020 serials, integrating coastal missile units and naval infantry. Annual cycles emphasize Kalibr employment, coastal missile live‑fires, harbor defense, and multi‑agency SAR coordination.
Legal and Geopolitical Context
The Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea, signed on 12 August 2018 by Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan, codifies the basin’s status and restricts the presence of non‑littoral military forces. This framework shapes the operating environment by barring external naval access, delineating maritime jurisdictions and seabed rights among the five states, and structuring security cooperation within the region.
Information Availability and Classification Caveats
Public sources do not disclose detailed orders of battle for all support units, exact personnel strengths, precise base layouts, secure communications architecture, munition storage sites, or real‑time readiness levels for the Caspian Flotilla, the 102nd PDSS detachment (v/ch 72969), or the 293rd rescue squad (v/ch 15119). Where such specifics are not publicly available or are classified, they are omitted.