Russian Northern Fleet landing ships trained to lay mines in Barents Sea.

A mine-laying group of the Russian Northern Fleet has sailed into the Barents Sea to drill mine-laying operations at the fleet’s see ranges. The group comprises the Alexander Otrakovsky and the Georgy Pobedonosets large landing ships of the Kola Flotilla of all-arms forces of the Northern Fleet. A load of dummy mines was loaded in Severomorsk, the Northern Fleet’s main base, the Northern Fleet said.

The Northern Fleet Large Landing Ship (LLS) Alexander Otrakovsky (Picture Source: Russian MoD)

"After drilling mine-laying operations in the prescribed water area the large landing ships will train to defend a squadron of warships against attacks of fast-speed small-size floating means of the conditional adversary and will practice gunfire at a surface target," the fleet’s press service said.

A minesweeping group of the Kola Flotilla of all-arms forces will face the task of detecting and clearing the minefields laid by the large landing ships.

The drills in the Barents Sea are taking place as part of the final check of the winter period of training. More than 15 warships and submarines of the Northern Fleet will operate simultaneously in the Barents Sea for several days.

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