Amid mounting frustrations over the Ukraine war, Russian naval officers may be sabotaging their own submarines, reviving a long history of mutiny and raising fears of deeper dissent within the fleet.
History has an uncanny way of repeating itself, especially in Russia, where past events often inspire protests and uprisings. There are now warning signs that some Russian naval officers have had enough of the more than three-year-long war in Ukraine and may do more than just voice their frustration.
Some sailors serving in the Black Sea Fleet may be actively sabotaging their vessels, putting into question the effectiveness of the once mighty force. More importantly, it is a reminder of past dissent within the fleet.
The History of Mutiny in the Russian Navy
In June 1917, the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet experienced a mutiny resulting from war weariness and a lack of trust for the provisional government that had taken power following the collapse of the monarchy earlier that year.
However, it wasn’t the first time that sailors of the Black Sea Fleet mutinied.
A far larger and more famous uprising occurred onboard the Russian battleship Kniaz Potemkin Tavricheskii in June 1905, brought on by poor living conditions and food quality. The mutiny became a symbol of resistance against the Tsarist regime and was later immortalized in Sergei Eisenstein’s famed film Battleship Potemkin.
Russian Sailors Commit Sabotage on Navy Vessels
There are now reports that Russian officers have been suspected of carrying out sabotage of the Black Sea Fleet’s submarines following frequent breakdowns and ongoing technical problems.
Russian military bloggers have been quick to suggest that this wasn’t the result of the Ukrainian efforts, but rather from the sailors, including officers, onboard the subs. Based in Novorossiysk, the boats have been experiencing mechanical failures, and a post on the VChK-OGPU channel on the Telegram social messaging app said the Russians are to blame.
The channel is run by former Rosbalt journalists Alexander Shvarev and Alisher Abdullayev. It reports on Russia’s law enforcement efforts and Moscow’s intelligence community (IC).
“It is not [Ukrainian] saboteurs who are under suspicion, but the fleet personnel,” a post on the channel explained. “The fleet command, with the participation of divisional mechanical engineers and the commander of military unit 80515 [the 4th Separate Submarine Brigade], Captain 1st Rank Skarga, is focused on constantly fixing the breakdowns.”
The noted problems, including gearbox failures and a loose lubricator drive, showed “signs of interference.” The open-source investigation quickly suggested that the “main suspects are junior officers” recently assigned to the submarines.
The report didn’t confirm which Black Sea Fleet boats may have been affected. Still, the Russian Navy is believed to operate four Project 636 Kilo-class and Project 722 (Improved-Kilo) submarines in the Black Sea, armed with 3M-14 Kalibr cruise missiles.
Though the claims made by the Telegram channel haven’t been confirmed, in 2023, the FSB arrested a Russian sailor serving in the Black Sea Fleet, who was accused of plotting to blow up a warship. That sailor had been recruited by the Ukrainian Special Services (SBU) and had two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at the time of his arrest.
Defense Opinion also reported in 2023 that Russian sailors, known to be more independent than their soldier counterparts, “have staged multiple mutinies across the tsarist and communist eras,” including uprisings directed against the government of the time. While it added, “One rebellious sailor does not constitute a mutiny… other factors could drive the Black Sea Fleet again into mutiny,” which could include the fact that the war has gone very badly for the fleet.
Its flagship, the guided-missile frigate Moskva, was sunk by land-based anti-ship missiles in the early stages of the war, and the fleet has come under repeated drone strikes. The Black Sea Fleet has had to retreat from its home port of Sevastopol.
Although the Russian Navy’s sailors in the region may not have suffered the same losses as the Russian Army, history could repeat itself.
“Potemkin fired on Odessa while under mutineer control, and while it did not hit any target of value, it was enough to send local authorities into hiding in more secure locations. Do not underestimate the damage to the Putin government that could be done during another Black Sea naval mutiny,” Defense Opinion added.
That was two years ago, and the situation could be far worse.
Now, sailors may be taking the first steps by sabotaging their submarines. One difference is that it won’t be the guns from a battleship that could be aimed at Russia; it might be those Kalibr cruise missiles!
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Tsuguliev.
