In recent military drills, Russia’s Northern Fleet successfully executed a series of missile launch exercises in the Barents Sea, as reported by Russian news agencies on Wednesday. According to the fleet’s news service, the nuclear-powered submarines Severodvinsk and Orel fired cruise missiles at designated sea targets.
The Severodvinsk, armed with Kalibr missiles, and the Orel, equipped with Granit missiles, launched their weapons over a distance of approximately 170 kilometers. The target was a simulation of a mock enemy’s detachment of landing ships. This operation was described as part of the Northern Fleet’s ongoing training regimen to test and validate the capabilities of their missile systems.
Reports from the TASS news agency cited the fleet’s statement, affirming the success of the exercise: “The nuclear submarine missile cruisers… of Northern Fleet carried out practical missile firing at sea targets in the Barents Sea.” This sentiment was echoed by Interfax, which noted the missiles’ accuracy and reliability, highlighting that “the combat exercise was completed successfully” according to the fleet’s assessment data.
As part of standard safety protocols, the designated missile firing zone was preemptively closed to civilian maritime and air traffic. The Barents Sea, an area within the Arctic Ocean, is strategically significant and shared between Norwegian and Russian territorial waters.
These drills underscore the operational readiness and strategic capabilities of Russia’s Northern Fleet, demonstrating the efficacy of their missile systems in real-world scenarios.
