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sources provide one of the major directions of fective buffer zone for Russian core areas, and The in Russian Strategy development of world civilisation in the third for strategic reasons insists on its exclusive by Alpo Juntunen millennium. The national policies of the major right to the northern sea route. Presidents Putin maritime powers and the majority of the world’s and Medvedev have made several public remarks nations will be implemented through independ- about the importance of the in ent action and cooperation, but competition on the defence of the Russian Federation.5 the world’s oceans will be inevitable. This is why The disintegration of the USSR was detri- ocean strategy and naval policy occupy centre mental to the military. Worst hit was the navy, stage in strategic planning.4 which was reduced to a catastrophic state. The Russia considers itself a leading maritime redevelopment of the that started power bordered by three oceans. Its national during President Putin’s reign focuses mainly on evolved from the Grand Duchy of , Rus- trol of the sea. Despite the Soviets flexing their maritime policy must look after the interests of the Northern Fleet. Development of the other sia is a superpower. Geography makes it a conti- muscles, the power of the USSR was limited the state and society from the inland waters to fleets takes place in order of importance as fol- nental nation, but for centuries Russia has striven because NATO controlled the Danish straits. the sea coasts, including the continental shelf of lows: the Fleet, the , the to become a sea power. The nation has expanded In a conflict situation, the first objective of the the Russian Federation and its economic zones, Caspian and the Baltic Sea Fleet. The role towards the , the Baltic Sea, the Black Warsaw Pact troops was to try and gain control territorial seas and ocean access. The national in- of the Pacific Fleet is defined by superpower pol- Sea and East Asian shores. Russians consider the of the Danish straits. The main focus of naval terests of the Russian Federation are aligned with itics and the volatile situation on the Korean pen- urge to expand as something natural and just: a policy was oceans, over which the USSR was able the maritime actions of individuals, the society insula. The development of the Black Sea Fleet great nation must have free access to oceans. Led to show its flag after building the world’s second- and the state, and are implemented through the and the Caspian Flotilla are motivated by tension by Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible, 1538–1584), Rus- largest ocean fleet, under the command of ad- nation’s maritime power. The national maritime on Russia’s southern borders.6 sia tried in vain to gain access to the Baltic Sea miral Sergey Gorshkov. The Soviet leaders con- policy must implement and defend Russian inter- As regards the global maritime policy of the via the Baltic countries and Finland. At the same sidered an ocean fleet with nuclear ests on the world’s oceans and enhance Russia’s Russian Federation, the relatively small Baltic Sea time, Moscow opened a gateway to the world via an indispensable basis for power politics. The position among the leading maritime powers. plays a regional role but is not without interna- the White Sea. The northern route involved many northern Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean became The doctrine pays special attention to naval tional significance because of the nine littoral challenges and access to the Baltic Sea remained the focal points of Soviet naval policy while the warfare; the fleet is one of the main tools protect- states. The Baltic Sea is important for Russian a strategic objective, which was attained after the Baltic Sea was considered a secondary sea front.3 ing Russia’s power-political interests. The Russian trade due to its strategic sea lines of communica- Treaty of Nystad (1721) by . This After the disintegration of the USSR and Navy is divided into the following operational tions, its access to oceans and because it is the did not, however, satisfy him as he wanted to gain the Warsaw Pact, the situation in the Baltic area strategic units: the Northern, Pacific, Black and most peaceful area with a reduced risk of mili- access to the and the Black Sea, too.1 changed and Russia was forced to retreat to the Baltic Sea fleets and the Caspian Flotilla. The lo- tary conflict. Military leaders nonetheless uphold Efforts to reach these shores failed, but Peter’s easternmost end of the Gulf of Finland. How- cation, strength and tasks of each fleet are deter- the myth of the old enemies in staff exercises to legacy was to be completed when Russia gained ever, from the Russian point of view, the present mined by national maritime policy and regional maintain resistance against the Western threat. control of most of the Baltic shores after the di- situation is not as dire as before WWII. Russia needs. For example, during the Soviet period, the The main task of the Baltic Fleet is to defend the visions of Poland and the wars against Napoleon. still controls the Kaliningrad area and a longer strategic focus of the navy was in the north. Over political status and sovereignty of Russia in the Despite these conquests, Russia has struggled to strip of the northern shores of the Gulf of Fin- the decades, a network of naval bases, area, protect economic activity and prevent illegal keep control of the Baltic Sea. Difficulties have land than prior to the Moscow Peace Treaty of and training and development centres was built access. The role of NATO as a potential enemy been caused by other super­powers and “small 1940. on the coasts of the Arctic Ocean and White Sea. has increased with NATO’s eastern expansion. nations” that have gained independence during Despite the territorial losses, Russia has not A strong northern navy equipped with strategic Russia has lost the defensive zone created by the Russia’s weaker periods. The Baltic Sea has al- abandoned its ocean strategy. Published in 2001, nuclear submarines is a power policy tool. The USSR after WWII, and NATO is now closer to ways been an intermediate target for Russia. The the maritime doctrine of the Russian Federation longest Russian sea coast, almost 20 000 kilome- the Russian core areas than before. The Åland Is- objective all along has been to reach the world’s is a comprehensive definition of the principles tres, is in the north. During the , both lands have gained importance as a demilitarised oceans in order to practice power politics.2 of Russian maritime policy, discussing areas the Soviet troops and the Western troops led by zone now that the Baltic nations have joined Russian influence in the Baltic Sea area peaked from international maritime law to the interests the USA were on the alert in the north because NATO. The islands are a military vacuum, which after WWII. The Soviet concept of “Baltic Sea of the Russian Federation on the world’s oceans. the missile trajectories of both parties crossed in a conflict situation will be taken advantage of – Sea of Peace” translates to absolute Soviet con- According to the doctrine, oceans and their re- the northern areas. The north is still the most ef- by the quickest and strongest strategic power. Ac-

120 121 NR 4 november/december 2010 DISKUSSION & DEBATT cording to Russia, the fact that Sweden and Fin- transport in the Baltic. through comparison with that of other nations also affected by a nation’s traditions, history and land have remained outside NATO allows Rus- Russian leaders do not rely on wishful think- in the area. Russia is the only nation to have a Bal- emotional ties. St Petersburg is one of the two sia more room for manoeuvre in its Baltic Sea ing and are aware of their responsibilities in rela- tic strategy in place, derived from the maritime Russian federal cities and the largest residential policy.7 tion to the security of the Baltic Sea. To this end, doctrine and guiding Russian Baltic policy. Rus- and cultural centre in the Baltic area. It is only In the maritime doctrine, the Baltic Sea is first they are purposefully developing both the Army sians know what they want from the Baltic Sea. now starting to regain its former glory and over- and foremost defined as a transport route, and and the Baltic Fleet. The current manpower of Other nations have not drafted similar strategies, come the degradation caused by Bolshevism. In special emphasis is placed on the development the Baltic Fleet is approximately 20 000 (August even though many of them have associations or the autumn of 2007, the Speaker of the State of port infrastructures. Over the past decade, 2010). The fleet has been systematically renewed institutions which focus on the Baltic Sea. The Duma, Boris Gryzlov, stated to Defence Min- Russia has constructed numerous new ports at over the past five years, and consists of destroy- Russian Baltic Fleet possesses more powerful ister Anatoliy Serdyukov that St Petersburg fo- the easternmost end of the Gulf of Finland, ers, corvettes, hovercraft and landing ships, mis- equipment than others, but not overwhelmingly cuses on the development of both its ports and renovated old ones and constructed infrastruc- sile and torpedo boats and submarines suitable so. maritime connections and that several interna- ture to support maritime traffic. Being shallow, for Baltic Sea conditions. Unlike the Soviet Navy, The Finnish Navy mostly focuses on coastal tional maritime companies have established the Baltic Sea provides ample opportunities for the Russian Navy cooperates with foreign build- defence. The manpower is limited, there are only presence in the city. The maritime objectives the utilisation of the continental shelf of Russia ers. It develops submarines together with the Ital- a few warships and Finland does not have any of the city would be further supported by the and for building artificial islands (installations and ians, and its latest procurement is a French Mis- submarines that would be ideally suited for op- move of the Russian naval headquarters from structures), for example. These are means for im- tral class amphibious assault ship. erations in the Baltic Sea. Moscow to St Petersburg. The governor of St proving coastal infrastructure and defence. The Foreign and Russian experts consider the Sweden is much stronger at sea. The five Petersburg, Valentina Matviyenko, was a strong Nord Stream gas pipeline is the flagship of these Baltic Sea an ideal environment for submarines, Visby class corvettes built between 2003 and supporter of the initiative and the ministry sug- projects. According to Russia, it will combine which will gain in importance as underwater op- 2008, equipped with missiles, form the core of gested that the naval headquarters start prepar- Eastern and Western interests in an ideal and bal- erations in the area increase. The Baltic Fleet the Swedish Navy and are supported by five ing for the move. Nothing happened for several anced way. currently has three submarines, two of which submarines. Two of them are modern Gotland years due to the fact that the senior naval of- coordinating cooperation with St. Petersburg are Kilo class submarines in use since the 1980’s. class submarines, one of which even the US ficers placed in Moscow were reluctant to leave and Kaliningrad is also considered important. These are being replaced by modern Lada class Navy failed to spot when the Swedes participat- the city. A group of retired admirals approached The Baltic Fleet is part of the western military submarines built at the in ed in joint military exercises along the coast of the Russian leaders with an open letter stating district of Russia. The main training units are lo- St. Petersburg. The first one, called Sankt-Peter- California. The Baltic countries have small navies that moving the headquarters made no sense cated in Kaliningrad and in . The big- burg, was commissioned on 8 May 2010. Her and coastal defence forces, but as members of and would have an adverse effect on national gest unnamed threat in Russia’s Baltic strategy is sister ship, Kronstadt, will be delivered to the NATO they have access to support from the al- defence as a whole. In the spring of 2009, the the loss of the freedom of navigation between fleet in 2013 and in 2015. The sub- lied navies under certain circumstances. Maritime Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, the mouth of the Gulf of Finland and Kalinin- can be equipped with both torpedoes support for the Baltic countries would mainly Vladimir Vysotskiy, stated that the navy had not grad. During WWII, the Soviet Navy remained and mines as well as cruise missiles with a range come from Germany which has a navy with man- received an order about the move. General of blockaded at the easternmost end of the Gulf, of 300 kilometres.8 power matching that of Russia’s and equipped the Army Nikolay Makarov, who is the Chief something the Navy does not want to happen In addition to the ships and submarines, the with modern vessels, aircraft and helicopters. of the General Staff of the armed forces, was again. navy has aviation forces comprising 24 Su-27 Germany has eleven submarines that are suitable quick to reply. According to him, the move to Thus, maintaining the connection and ensur- fighters, 29 Su-24 attack aircraft and 46 helicop- for operations in the Baltic Sea. Four of them are St Petersburg was part of the ongoing reform ing the safety of transport is the main task of the ters suitable for naval operations. Supporting 212A class submarines with hybrid propulsion. of the armed forces. Naval headquarters should naval and coastal defence forces, and the Baltic the navy, there are also the motorised marine Denmark no longer has submarines. Its navy be located by the sea, and St Petersburg is an Fleet is furnished with equipment that supports brigade and coastal defence regiment in Kalin- uses fast and effective surface ships equipped ideal location. The move will start in late 2010 and protects transport. According to Russia, an- ingrad.9 with missiles and helicopters. The Polish Navy and will be completed by 2012. The new head- other constant threat is the possible isolation of In addition to the navy, the air and ground has outdated equipment. So far, NATO’s support quarters will be in the Admiralty building in the Kaliningrad and the fact that the Baltic nations, forces of the western military district partici- for the Baltic countries has been almost non-ex- centre of St. Petersburg where the Baltic fleet Poland and Germany could demand changes pate in the defence of the Baltic Sea. They are istent, because NATO’s military focus is not in headquarters used to be located until the recent in the status of Kaliningrad should tensions in- also undergoing redevelopment and being rein- the Baltic area.10 move to Kronstadt.11 It seems that the leaders crease in the Baltic area. Russia’s interests involve forced with new Iskander missiles. In addition to military and economic con- of the Russian Federation, who come from St. maintaining the status quo and uninterrupted Russia’s military power manifests itself siderations, the perception of the Baltic Sea is Petersburg, have their eyes on the Baltic Sea.

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Försvarshögskolan, Stockholm 2010, pp. 35–36. 4. morskaya doktrina rossiyskoy federacii na period The author is a Ph.D., Senior Researcher at the do 2020 goda. Swedish National Defence University, 5. See, for example, Vystupleniye Putina 2008-02- 18, Medvedeva 2009-11-21. Department of Strate­ ­gic and Defence Studies. Korzun, Vladimir, Anatolevich: Interesy Rossii v Mirovom okeane, Nauka, Moskva 2005, pp. Notes 457–466. 6. Ibid., pp. 400–439. 1. vernadsky, George: A History of Russia. Volume 7. Ibid., pp. 459–461. V. The Tsardom of Moscow 1547–1682, part 1, Yale 8. The Russian Navy/INFOgraphics/RIA Novosti University Press, New Haven and London, 1969, 2010-07-30. pp. 64–65; 9. The Military Balance 2010, London 2010, pp. Juntunen, Alpo: Pohjois-Venäjän yhteydet Länsi- 222–234. Eurooppaan. Kultalähteen kahta puolta. Kainuun 10. Op. cit. note 3, pp. 261–276; ja Karjalan historiaa, Kajaani 1999, pp. 102–108. Lillqvist, P.: "Itämeri sukellusveneiden toi- 2. Engman, M.: Sankt Petersburg och Finland, Helsing- mintaympäristönä – mikä on muuttunut?" Ran- fors 1983, pp. 95–103; nikon Puolustaja no. 4/2009, pp. 30–33. Luntinen, P.: The Imperial Russian Army and Navy in 11. Glavnyi štab Voenno-morskogo flota perevoditsja Finland 1808–1918. 1997, pp. 15–58; v Sankt-Peterburg – http://www.regnum.ru/news Lehti, A.: Baltian kuvernementtien ja Suomen merkitys (2010-08-05). Venäjän keisarilliselle laivastolle v. 1856–1914, Hel- Admiralov ”ssylayt” pobliže k moryu. Nezavisi- sinki 2003, maya 2010-08-05. – http://www.ng.ru/nvo/admirals. pp. 83–120. 3. Werner, Christoffer: Sjömakt – teori och praktik,

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