The Navy Day Parade in Saint Petersburg is coming up, and news about the preparations are everywhere in the Russian military press. I find this interesting in a nerdy kind of way, but it also carries a professional significance because it involves a lot of Russian naval movements in the Baltic Sea.

So here is a summary of what I have picked up so far:

The parade takes place on 29 July. More than 40 ships and 38 aircraft will participate along with 4,000 soldiers from Russia’s four fleets and the Caspian Flotilla.

Some new equipment will be displayed, including the new missile corvette Uragan and the recently commissioned intelligence vessel Ivan Khurs.

From the Baltic Fleet, a group of ships have left Kaliningrad and are underway to Saint Petersburg. This includes the Buyan-M class Serpukhov, the Nanuchka class corvettes Liven and Geyzer, and the Tarantul class Chuvashiya.

On the Severomorsk Roads, a group from the Northern Fleet is forming before the journey. This includes the Slava class cruiser Marshal Ustinov, the Udaloy class destroyer Severomorsk, and the frigate Admiral Gorshkov which is still undergoing sea trials before official delivery from the shipbuilder.

The biggest ship in the parade will be the Antey class (Oscar II) submarine Orel which also comes from the Northern Fleet. I suspect it won’t join the group with Marshal Ustinov. First, it is much more convenient for a submarine to transit submerged. And second, for bureaucratic reasons it is easiest if the Russian ships transit the Danish straits in groups of maximum three ships, since larger groups require prior diplomatic notice. Of course the ships could regroup before transiting the Danish straits. It is Orel’s first visit to the Baltic Sea.

The Pacific Fleet has sent three Maritime Patrol Aircraft. These include two Tu-142 and one Il-38N.

In addition to this, there will also be participation of the long awaited new landing ship Ivan Gren, the Steregushchiy class corvette Soobrazitelnyy, the frigate Admiral Makarov, and two Kilo class submarines.