Russia’s Naval Power in the 21st Century
(Russian Military Reform | July 27) Wilson Center video recording of a roundtable event on the state of the Russian Navy. Dmitry Gorenburg (CNA/Harvard University) and Olga Oliker (RAND) provided commentary. Michael Kofman (Kennan Institute) moderated.
Russia Launches Cutting-Edge Spy Ship to Track U.S. Missile Defense
(The Moscow Times | July 26) Russia inducted a new-generation spy ship into the Northern Fleet on Sunday during navy day celebrations. The new vessel will be tasked with monitoring U.S. anti-missile defenses on the high seas, a navy spokesman said. […]
According to Gorenburg, the Ivanov and its sister ship “will be used as intel ships for a variety of missions, they have a long range and deployment time so that can go out and observe U.S. weapons testing or naval exercises, or even monitor communications offshore somewhere.”
Despite Sanctions, Russian Defense Revenues Soaring
(Defense News | July 26) MOSCOW — Despite the pressure of Western sanctions, the sharp devaluation of the Russian ruble and runaway inflation at home, Russian defense firms featured in this year's Defense News Top 100 ranking saw surging revenues as exports reached new highs and the government poured money into defense procurement. […]
“In general, a lot of the problems caused by sanctions are disruptions to the supply chains,” Gorenburg said. “Even if they can find new sources, they still have to set those up and they probably won’t be identical to those found in Western Europe.”
