The military criminal and russian Defense Minister Shoigu announced that the russian armed forces have already established the Dnieper River Flotilla with a brigade of boats, although little is known about it in russia itself.
In particular, neither its official composition nor its commander, nor its location of deployment, etc., are officially announced, so even the state-run russian TASS had to communicate with the former head of the russian Navy's General Staff (1998-2005), Viktor Kravchenko.
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At the same time, russian propagandists did not link Shoigu's statement about the fleet already being formed with the logical question of where it obtains naval assets. Because, as stated in the publication, to form the Dnieper River Flotilla, the Caspian Flotilla will be, or has already been, dismantled.
It is from the Caspian Sea, as reported by the russian publication, that artillery boats, river minesweepers, marine infantry units with landing vehicles, coastal missile, and artillery units are supposed to be transferred. And if you look at the composition of the Caspian Flotilla, then the conversation should be about its actual complete transformation into a river status.
In total, the Caspian Flotilla consists of:
- 2 Gepard-class frigates
- 3 Buyan-class corvettes
- 3 Buyan M-class corvettes
- 1 Tarantul-class corvette (Molniya)
- 5 artillery boats of projects: 4 - Shmel, 1 - Grif
- 5 patrol boats: 3 - Grachonok, 2 - Raptor
- 8 landing boats: 1 - Shark, 1 - Dugong, 6 - Sarna
- 7 minesweepers: 2 - 697TB, 1 - Korund, 2 - project 10750, 2 – Yakhont
Of all these ships, artillery boats - 6 units, patrol boats - 5 units, all landing craft, and part of the minesweepers (probably except for the large Yakhont), are suitable for the russian Dnieper Flotilla.
Among the coastal troops of the Caspian Flotilla are two separate coastal missile divisions with Bal systems for the Kh-35 missile, whose role in the format of a river flotilla is doubtful. And also the 177th Marine Corps Regiment, which has long been observed on the front lines.
But not exclusively, although it is not written about in russia, that the Dnieper River Flotilla will remain more of a "paper" association with light boats and inflatable boats, but under admiral leadership.
The tasks of the russian Dnieper River Flotilla are also outlined by the publication as broadly as possible - to provide for the landing operations of its forces and prevent similar actions by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Considering the enemy's access zone to the Dnieper, the main planned area of its operation is the former Kakhovka Reservoir, which is now partially filled with water, as well as the flow of the Dnieper below the destroyed Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant.
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