The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on April 13 that Moscow is sending 15 naval vessels from its Caspian Flotilla to waters off Ukraine to take part in military exercises there. Earlier, Russian and Ukrainian media had reported stories about a smaller number. Although the vessels must pass through a 100-kilometer-long canal with more than 13 locks, they will likely be able to arrive before other ships, sent from Russia’s Baltic Fleet, make it to the Black Sea basin. Moreover, although the ships are smaller and less heavily armed than the ones coming from the Baltic, the Caspian Flotilla has, over the last several years, developed a landing capability that could make it a central element in any new Russian invasion of Ukraine from the sea.
Russia's War Against Ukraine
OP-ED
The Jamestown Foundation: Moscow moving 15 warships from Caspian Sea to waters off Ukraine
A picture taken on April 13, 2021 shows warships of the Russian navy's Caspian Sea flotilla sailing on the Don river in Rostov-on-Don during an inter-fleet move from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea.
