Image Credits : Naval Post
Russia has begun its largest naval exercise in decades, named “Ocean-2024,” amid rising geopolitical tensions. The large-scale drills, which involve naval forces from the Pacific, Northern, and Black Sea fleets, are a strategic effort to bolster Russia’s maritime capabilities and project its global military reach.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, the “Ocean-2024” drills include a variety of complex operations such as naval combat, anti-submarine warfare, air defence manoeuvres, and amphibious landings. More than 50 warships, submarines, aircraft, and helicopters are participating, covering vast stretches of the Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic Oceans. Strategic missile submarines are also involved, highlighting the breadth of coordination between the branches of Russia’s naval forces.
The exercises, which will run for several weeks, are designed to test the Russian navy’s readiness to protect vital maritime routes and secure national interests in key regions. Military experts view the drills as a direct response to increasing NATO activities in the Arctic and Pacific, where Russia has expanded its strategic influence in recent years.
NATO has been critical of Russia’s military posture, and the scale of these exercises is likely to raise further concern among Western military alliances. Russia’s focus on the Arctic during the drills is especially significant, given the growing competition for resources and control in the region. As Arctic ice melts and opens new shipping routes, Moscow has steadily increased its military and economic presence there, viewing the region as critical to its national security and future economic growth.