Troops and Forces in the Northeast
Formation Overview
Troops and Forces in the Northeast of Russia (Russian: «Войска и силы на северо-востоке России») is a joint operational formation subordinate to the Russian Pacific Fleet. It integrates submarine forces, surface ships, coastal troops (including naval infantry and coastal missile units), and naval aviation elements to secure the northeastern maritime approaches of the Russian Federation. Its core tasks include the defense of naval base infrastructure in Kamchatka Krai, protection of strategic ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) operations in the Sea of Okhotsk, sea lines of communication control in the Bering Sea, and coastal/air defense of key shoreline and port facilities.
Area of Responsibility and Geography
The formation’s primary area of responsibility covers Kamchatka Krai and the adjacent maritime zones of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea, extending to the Bering Strait and coastal sectors of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug. The Bering Strait—approximately 82 km wide at its narrowest—constitutes a critical choke point for maritime access between the Pacific and Arctic Oceans. The region’s rugged coastline, volcanic terrain, frequent seismic activity, and harsh weather patterns affect basing, patrol cycles, and sustainment schedules, while Avacha Bay (on Kamchatka’s southeast coast) provides an ice-free deep-water anchorage for major fleet facilities.
Command Relationships
Troops and Forces in the Northeast of Russia operates under the Pacific Fleet’s operational control and coordinates with the Eastern Military District’s elements for ground support and territorial defense. Air defense and fighter aviation coverage in the region are provided by units of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) within the Eastern Military District’s 11th Air and Air Defense Army. Border security and maritime border control in adjacent waters are conducted by the Border Service of the Federal Security Service (FSB), which operates in parallel to naval patrol and coastal defense missions.
Principal Bases and Facilities (Kamchatka)
The formation’s core base complex is in the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky–Vilyuchinsk area on Avacha Bay. Key sites (approximate coordinates based on open sources) include: Vilyuchinsk/Rybachiy Naval Submarine Base (≈52.93°N, 158.50°E), the Pacific Fleet’s primary SSBN base; Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Naval Base and port facilities on Avacha Bay (≈53.02°N, 158.65°E) for surface ships and auxiliaries; Yelizovo air base (dual-use with Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport, ≈53.17°N, 158.45°E) supporting regional air and naval aviation operations; and the Kura Missile Test Range impact area on northern Kamchatka (≈57.1°N, 162.9°E), used for ICBM/SLBM reentry testing.
Submarine Forces and Infrastructure
Vilyuchinsk (Rybachiy) hosts the Pacific Fleet’s SSBNs and nuclear-powered attack submarines. As publicly reported, Pacific Fleet SSBNs of the Project 955/955A Borei/Borei-A class—armed with R-30 Bulava SLBMs—are homeported here (e.g., Alexander Nevsky and Vladimir Monomakh, with newer Borei-A units subsequently assigned to the Pacific Fleet). Legacy Project 667BDR (Delta III) SSBNs historically operated from this base; most have been phased out. The base complex includes protected piers, security exclusion zones, weapons handling and storage areas, and specialized support infrastructure required for nuclear submarine operations. SSBN patrols from Kamchatka typically access the Sea of Okhotsk, which is used as a bastion operating area.
Surface and Support Forces (Kamchatka Flotilla)
The Kamchatka Flotilla of Diverse Forces operates from Avacha Bay to conduct local maritime security, base defense, patrol, search and rescue, and mine countermeasures. Its composition, as publicly described over time, focuses on smaller surface combatants (e.g., patrol and anti-submarine corvettes), minesweepers, and a range of auxiliaries (tugs, rescue vessels, tankers, and logistics ships) necessary to sustain submarine and surface operations. The flotilla provides layered security for approaches to Vilyuchinsk and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and supports training, readiness checks, and regional exercises.
Naval Infantry and Coastal Defense
Naval infantry forces in Kamchatka include the 40th Separate Naval Infantry Brigade (Pacific Fleet), based in the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky area, tasked with littoral defense, protection of naval installations, and amphibious operations training. Pacific Fleet coastal missile units in the region operate modern coastal defense systems, notably the Bastion-P (K-300) armed with P-800 Oniks supersonic anti-ship missiles, providing anti-ship coverage of Avacha Bay approaches and adjacent sea areas. The Bal coastal missile system (Kh-35) is also employed within the Pacific Fleet and can be fielded in the broader theater as required; specific deployment patterns in Kamchatka/Chukotka vary over time per publicly released training and exercise footage.
Air and Air Defense Assets
Regional air defense relies on VKS fighter aviation and surface-to-air missile units. Open releases have shown MiG-31-series interceptors operating from Yelizovo and forward airfields in Chukotka during deployments. The Russian Ministry of Defense has also publicized S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile systems deployed in Kamchatka for long-range air defense. Naval aviation assets of the Pacific Fleet, including Il-38/Il-38N maritime patrol/anti-submarine aircraft, are active in the theater and use Yelizovo for operations and/or staging, augmenting anti-submarine warfare coverage in the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea.
Chukotka Sites and Forward Deployments
Forward operating locations in Chukotka support surveillance and coastal defense along the Bering Sea. Anadyr–Ugolny air base (≈64.7°N, 177.7°E) serves as a key forward airfield for periodic deployments of interceptors and patrol aircraft. In late 2022, the Russian Ministry of Defense publicly reported the deployment of Bastion coastal missile systems to the Chukotka coast (Cape Schmidt area) for year-round monitoring of the maritime situation in the Bering Sea. These deployments extend coastal anti-ship coverage toward the Bering Strait and complement fixed defenses in Kamchatka.
Kura Missile Test Range (Kamchatka)
The Kura range on northern Kamchatka is Russia’s principal impact/instrumentation area for long-range ballistic missile tests. Reentry vehicles from intercontinental ballistic missiles (e.g., RS-24 Yars) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (e.g., R-29 family and R-30 Bulava) are routinely targeted to Kura from western and Arctic launch areas. Russian Ministry of Defense footage habitually shows impact sequences and range instrumentation at Kura during announced test campaigns, underscoring the range’s continuing role in strategic systems validation.
Missions and Operating Concepts
The formation supports the bastion defense concept in the Sea of Okhotsk, enabling protected patrol areas for SSBNs through layered anti-submarine warfare, coastal missile coverage, and air defense. Tasks include base and force protection in Avacha Bay, control of approaches to the Sea of Okhotsk via straits and channels, maritime domain awareness across the Bering Sea, and readiness to interdict hostile surface/subsurface forces. Coordinated activities with VKS, coastal troops, and surface/subsurface assets provide overlapping surveillance and engagement zones in key maritime corridors.
Logistics and Sustainment
Avacha Bay’s ice-free port facilities and the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky–Vilyuchinsk complex serve as the principal logistics hub. The region’s remoteness imposes reliance on maritime sealift and airlift for resupply and personnel rotation. Severe weather, sea state, and seismic/volcanic activity necessitate robust infrastructure hardening and redundancy in power, water, and communications for mission continuity. While routine maintenance and repairs are supported locally, major overhauls and modernizations of nuclear submarines are typically conducted at larger shipyards elsewhere in the Russian Far East or at Sevmash (Severodvinsk), as publicly reported.
Arms Control Context
Russian SSBNs based at Vilyuchinsk are subject to strategic arms treaty counting rules. The New START Treaty entered into force in 2011 and, as announced by Russia in February 2023, Moscow suspended participation in inspection and notification activities; the treaty framework itself formally remains in force unless superseded or expired. Public accounting of deployed launchers and warheads since the suspension relies on open-source assessments and official statements rather than treaty verification measures. The Kura range remains the declared impact area for many strategic system tests referenced in official announcements.
Security and Classification Boundaries
Vilyuchinsk is a closed administrative territorial formation (ZATO) with restricted access. Details on warhead storage, handling procedures, and specific security arrangements fall under the 12th Main Directorate (12th GUMO) of the Russian Ministry of Defense and are not publicly disclosed. Similarly, precise orders of battle, readiness levels, patrol routes, and submarine operating schedules are classified; only information released through official channels or clearly visible in open-source evidence (e.g., satellite imagery or public exercises) is available.
Recent Publicly Reported Developments (2021–2024)
Pacific Fleet strategic submarine forces at Vilyuchinsk were augmented by newer Borei-A class SSBNs delivered in late 2021 and late 2022, with subsequent inter-fleet transfer to the Pacific and arrivals reported in 2023. In late 2022, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced a permanent-style Bastion coastal missile deployment to the Chukotka coast for Bering Sea monitoring. Throughout 2022–2024, official releases highlighted Pacific Fleet exercises involving coastal missile units, anti-submarine aviation sorties from Yelizovo and forward airfields, and surface ship training in Avacha Bay and adjacent waters. The Kura range continued to be used for scheduled strategic missile tests during this period, as shown in MoD communications.