Kola Flotilla
Formation Overview
The Kola Flotilla of Diverse Forces is a formation of the Russian Northern Fleet tasked with defending the approaches to Kola Bay, securing the Northern Fleet’s basing area, and supporting operations in the Barents Sea. Its headquarters is identified as military unit 36070, with subordinate formations including the 121st Landing Ship Brigade (military unit 36045), the 14th Anti-Submarine Ship Brigade (military unit 20546), and the 161st Submarine Brigade (military unit 36021).
Headquarters and Location
Headquarters: 6 Dushenova Street, Polyarny, Murmansk Oblast, Russian Federation (closed administrative-territorial formation Alexandrovsk). Polyarny sits on the western shore of Kola Bay at approximately 69.2°N, 33.45°E, offering sheltered deep-water berthing with year-round access to the Barents Sea. The site benefits from the North Atlantic Current, which keeps Kola Bay largely ice-free, and is closely integrated with the wider Northern Fleet basing complex around Polyarny, Severomorsk, and Murmansk.
Order of Battle — Surface Forces
The 121st Landing Ship Brigade (military unit 36045) operates Project 775 Ropucha-class large landing ships: Aleksandr Otrakovsky (pennant 031 commonly cited), Olenegorsky Gornyak (012), Kondopoga (027), and Georgiy Pobedonosets (016), primarily based at Polyarny. The 14th Anti-Submarine Ship Brigade (military unit 20546) fields large anti-submarine ships of Project 1155/1155.1: Severomorsk (619), Admiral Levchenko (605), Vice-Admiral Kulakov (626), and Admiral Chabanenko (650), with basing at Severomorsk and operational control within the Kola Flotilla.
Order of Battle — Submarine Forces
The 161st Submarine Brigade (military unit 36021), based at Polyarny, comprises Project 877 Paltus diesel-electric submarines B-177 Lipetsk, B-459 Vladikavkaz, B-471 Magnitogorsk, B-800 Kaluga, and B-808 Yaroslavl. The brigade has also been associated with the prototype Project 677 Lada submarine B-585 Sankt Petersburg, which has seen limited operational use and extensive trials; open sources have reported changes in its fleet assignment over time.
Platform Capabilities — Project 775 Ropucha-class
Project 775 Ropucha-class ships typically displace about 3,900–4,100 tonnes at full load, reach roughly 17–18 knots, and carry around 10 main battle tanks or up to 12 BMP/BTR-class vehicles plus approximately 300–340 troops via bow and stern ramps. Typical armament includes a medium naval gun (76 mm AK-176 or twin 57 mm AK-725 depending on sub-variant), AK-630 30 mm close-in weapon systems, and the A-215 Grad-M 122 mm rocket system for shore fire support. Endurance is on the order of several thousand nautical miles at economical speed, enabling amphibious assaults, intra-theater sealift, and littoral logistics along the Barents and White Sea coasts.
Platform Capabilities — Project 1155/1155.1 Udaloy-class
Project 1155 (Udaloy I) large anti-submarine ships such as Severomorsk, Admiral Levchenko, and Vice-Admiral Kulakov have a full-load displacement near 7,500 tonnes, a top speed around 29–30 knots, and are optimized for ASW with the Polinom sonar suite (hull sonar and MG-325 ‘Horse Tail’ towed array), two Ka-27 helicopters, RBU-6000 ASW rocket mortars, 533 mm torpedoes, and URK-5 Rastrub (SS-N-14) anti-submarine missiles; air defense is provided by the 3K95 Kinzhal (SA-N-9) system, guns, and CIWS. The Project 1155.1 Udaloy II variant Admiral Chabanenko incorporates significant changes, including P-270 Moskit (SS-N-22) anti-ship missiles and the AK-130 130 mm gun, while retaining strong ASW capabilities.
Platform Capabilities — Project 877 Paltus and Project 677 Lada
Project 877 Paltus (NATO: Kilo) diesel-electric attack submarines have six 533 mm torpedo tubes for torpedoes and mines, are designed for low acoustic signature in littoral and shelf waters, and have typical endurance up to about 45 days with snorkeling for battery recharge; test depth is generally reported around 300 meters. Project 677 Lada (e.g., B-585 Sankt Petersburg) features a reduced acoustic signature, an advanced sonar suite (Lira family), and 533 mm tube-launched weapons; the lead boat has been employed extensively for trials and limited operational tasks.
Basing and Infrastructure
Polyarny provides berthing for submarines and surface combatants, fleet logistics, and proximity to the Northern Fleet’s 10th Ship Repair Plant. The Kola Bay complex includes major repair facilities at the 35th Ship Repair Plant in Roslyakovo (Murmansk area) and the Nerpa Shipyard in Snezhnogorsk, supporting maintenance and overhauls of submarines and surface ships. Severomorsk hosts the large anti-submarine ship brigade’s berths and operational support. The sheltered, deep-water bay enables rapid access to the Barents Sea and nearby training ranges.
Operational Roles and Mission Sets
Assigned forces conduct area defense of Kola Bay and its seaward approaches, anti-submarine barrier patrols and escort for high-value units, amphibious lift and coastal landings along the Barents and White Sea littorals, and routine training evolutions in nearby ranges. They also support convoying and logistics movements between Kola Bay, the White Sea, and Arctic archipelagos as required by Northern Fleet tasking.
Regional Security Integration
Force protection and area air defense for the Kola Bay region are integrated with Northern Fleet air and coastal defense assets, including S-400–equipped air defense units in the Murmansk region, coastal missile units employing K-300P Bastion and Kh-35U Bal systems on the Kola Peninsula, and naval aviation at Severomorsk-1 and Severomorsk-3 (e.g., Il-38N maritime patrol/ASW aircraft, Ka-27 helicopters, and MiG-31 interceptors). These elements provide layered coverage in support of flotilla surface and submarine operations.
Recent Publicly Reported Activity (through October 2024)
Open sources reported that the large landing ship Olenegorsky Gornyak sustained damage in Novorossiysk on 4 August 2023 following an unmanned surface vehicle attack. Admiral Chabanenko returned to sea trials in 2023 after a prolonged repair period. Udaloy-class ships Severomorsk and Vice-Admiral Kulakov have undertaken long-range deployments in recent years, while Project 877 submarines of the 161st Brigade have been documented conducting training sorties in the Barents Sea. These reports reflect operational use but do not alter the unit structure listed above.
Sustainment and Constraints
Sustainment depends on the regional repair base at Polyarny, Roslyakovo, and Snezhnogorsk; the loss of the PD-50 floating dock in 2018 reduced heavy docking capacity in the area and led to adjustments in repair workflows. Arctic weather, prolonged darkness in winter, and sea states in the Barents Sea affect operations and maintenance cycles. The principal surface combatants and landing ships are legacy designs from the late Cold War era, requiring periodic overhauls to sustain availability.
Lines of Communication and Access
Kola Bay connects directly to the Barents Sea and is linked ashore to Murmansk’s rail and road network, enabling resupply and personnel movement. The flotilla’s units can sortie rapidly from Polyarny and Severomorsk to Barents Sea operating areas for training, patrols, and escort missions, and can access the White Sea via established coastal routes for exercises, trials, and maintenance transits.
Nomenclature and Pennant Numbers
Project 775 ships are classified by the Russian Navy as large landing ships (BDK). Hull pennant numbers can change over time due to administrative decisions and repainting; the identifiers cited here (e.g., 031, 012, 027, 016 for the Northern Fleet’s Ropucha-class ships; 619, 605, 626, 650 for Udaloy-class ships) are widely reported in open sources but have varied during service.