The
Russian Navy (
Военно-морской флот [
ВМФ], Voyenno-Мorskoi Flot [VMF],
lit. 'Military Maritime Fleet' [VMF]) is the
naval arm of the
Russian Armed Forces. It has existed in various forms since
1696, the present iteration of which was formed in
January 1992 when it succeeded the Navy of the
Commonwealth of Independent States (which had itself succeeded the
Soviet Navy following the
dissolution of the Soviet Union in late December 1991).
The Russian Navy possesses the vast majority of the former Soviet naval forces, and currently comprises the
Northern Fleet, the
Pacific Fleet, the
Black Sea Fleet, the
Baltic Fleet, the
Caspian Flotilla,
5th Operational Squadron in
Middle East,
Naval Aviation, and the Coastal Troops (consisting of the
Naval Infantry and the Coastal Missile and Artillery Troops).
The Russian Navy suffered severely since the dissolution of the Soviet Union due to insufficient maintenance, lack of funding and subsequent effects on the training of personnel and timely replacement of equipment. Another setback is attributed to Russia's domestic shipbuilding industry which is reported to have been in decline as to their capabilities of constructing contemporary hardware efficiently. Some analysts even say that because of this Russia's naval capabilities have been facing a slow but certain "irreversible collapse". In 2013 some analysts suggested that the rise in gas and oil prices has enabled a sort of renaissance of the Russian Navy due to increased available funds, which may have allowed Russia to begin "developing the capacity to modernize". In August 2014, Defence Minister
Sergei Shoigu said that Russian naval capabilities would be bolstered with new weapons and equipment within the next six years in response to NATO deployments in eastern Europe and recent developments in Ukraine.
The first iteration of the
Russian Navy was established by
Peter the Great (Peter I) in October 1696. Ascribed to him is the oft quoted statement: "A ruler that has but an army has one hand, but he who has a navy has both." The symbols of the Russian Navy, the
St. Andrew's ensign (seen to the right), and most of its traditions were established personally by Peter I.
