Sergey-Balk Vessel Reviews and Specifications

Recent maritime activity in the southern Kattegat has raised eyebrows, with Russian vessels engaging in unexpected maneuvers that hint at possible underwater operations. Two notable tugs, the 'Sergeji Balk' and 'SB 123', have drawn particular interest. Since the afternoon of January 6th, the 'Sergeji Balk' has been navigating a specific deep-water route connecting the Great Belt to the Kattegat, tracing a repetitive path over a distance of about 21.5 nautical miles east of Grenaa, moving in northeast and southwest directions. As of the evening of January 6th, the 'SB 123' joined the mission, seemingly dispatched from Baltiysk for this operation. Throughout this period, at least two additional vessels were also in play, but the operation ceased around noon on January 8th, with both tugs subsequently making their way through the Great Belt toward the central Baltic Sea. The patterns of movement from these vessels do not align with typical navigation routines, suggesting a more covert objective. Interestingly, there appear to be no direct links to the ongoing investigation into damaged submarine cables discovered between Sweden and Lithuania and between Finland and Germany in mid-November. Instead, attention is shifting toward the 'Yi Peng 3', a bulk carrier that was anchored in close proximity to where these unusual Russian maneuvers occurred. This carrier was previously noted near the locations of the cable damage incidents, heightening suspicions. Additionally, the 'SB 123' had previously piqued interest during a similar operation in the area, where it was noted alongside the 'Chusovoy-GS-31', a hydroacoustic reconnaissance vessel, as they navigated toward Skagen on October 4, 2024. This vessel anchored within the Great Belt, situated between Grenaa, Seelands Odde, and Anholt, before continuing north. Reports indicated that Russian involvement in underwater cable installation efforts near an offshore wind farm in Anholt may have caught their attention. Further context was provided when the 'Sergeji Balk' was spotted on December 31, 2024, traversing the Great Belt, accompanied by an unidentified Kilo-class submarine and escorted by the Danish Navy. On January 1, 2025, both vessels took refuge from an incoming storm southeast of Skagen, before being joined on January 2 by the missile corvette 'Soobrazitelny', which was escorting the Russian tanker 'General Skobelev' and the roro vessel 'Sparta II' toward the Mediterranean. The prolonged stay of the 'Sergeji Balk' and the submarine, suspected to be the B-608 'Mozhaisk', in the Skagen area suggested potential technical issues with one of the vessels. This assumption was supported by the departure of the 'SB 123' alongside another tug, 'Evgeniy Churov'. The puzzling movements of these Russian units have prompted speculation about the operational directives in this region. Notably, reports on the morning of January 8th indicated the corvette 'Soobrazitelny' and an unidentified submarine making their way south in the northern Kattegat, east of the island of Läsoe.

On October 22, 2023, the Russian warship 'Sergej Balk' and the submarine 'B-265-Krasnodar' were spotted off the coast of Belgium, heading in a northerly direction around midday. Prior to this, on October 15, a Spanish patrol vessel had provided escort for the Russian convoy as it navigated the northern boundary of Portugal, heading towards the Baltic Sea. The military movement was initially monitored on October 11 when the fleet was seen near the Balearic Islands off Mallorca. Following their presence in Belgian waters, the French Navy took charge of escorting the submarine along their coastline, before handing the operation over to the Royal Navy. For further details and photographs, visit the report at: https://www.cnews.fr/monde/2023-10-25/le-trou-noir-quel-est-ce-sous-marin-russe-passe-au-large-des-cotes-francaises.

On October 17, the Spanish Navy successfully monitored two Russian naval vessels, the 'Sergey Balk' and Kilo-class submarine 'Krasnodar', in the waters surrounding the Balearic Islands, located south of Ibiza. Following their initial detection, these warships were subsequently spotted off the Galician coast as they made their way back to their home port in the Baltic region. The Spanish patrol boat 'Centinela' was deployed on the afternoon of October 15 to track and observe these Russian ships as they approached the northern border with Portugal. Despite challenging weather conditions and poor visibility, the patrol team managed to locate the warships on October 17 near the maritime border. Thereafter, the 'Centinela' continued to monitor their route toward the northern edge of Spain's exclusive economic zone. On October 18, the patrol boat returned to its home port in Ferrol. Notably, the 'Rayo' also accompanied these Russian vessels during their passage through the Mediterranean.