For the first two decades after the Cold War, Russian naval power hardly featured in the Euro-Atlantic community's strategic thinking. This began to change in the mid-2010s, as the idea that the Russian navy poses a threat to NATO began to gain ground. That threat took shockingly real form in February 2022, when Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine.

The sea in Russian strategy is the first sustained examination of Russian maritime power in the period since the fall of the Soviet Union. It brings together leading specialists from public policy and academia to reflect on historical and contemporary aspects of Russia's naval strategy and capacities.

At a time of mounting tensions, which some observers have named the 'Fourth Battle of the Atlantic', the book offers an informed and nuanced discussion, taking into account the view from Moscow and how this differs from western perspectives. It sketches a trajectory of Russia's power at sea and reflects on current capabilities and problems, as well as Moscow's strategic planning for the future.

Reviews

'a highly detailed, nuanced analysis of Russian naval history, strategic thinking, operational concepts, naval capabilities (both current and future), naval industrial capacity, wider Russian sea power, and the implications.
The Sea in Russian Strategy needs to be read widely, especially by those who need to understand the nature of the Russian threat, and is particularly recommended.'
The Naval Review

' This edited collection offers a view of Russian maritime strategies and the policies affecting both contemporary and future Russian interests. The authors focus on the contemporary and future aspects of Russia's navel strategy and capacities, giving special attention to the Arctic region as an economic opportunity for acquiring natural resources.'
CHOICE
(Reprinted with permission from Choice Reviews. All rights reserved. Copyright by the American Library Association.)

'As Russia continues to test global security, this excellent book provides a very timely contribution to our understanding of Moscow's maritime capability and intent. The sea has always been a crucial domain to any power with global ambition. This extremely well-considered and authoritative collection provides an informed baseline to re-examine our understanding of this critical area of warfare, test our assumptions and challenge our planning and decision making.'
Admiral Sir Tim Fraser, KCB, Vice Chief of Defence Staff, 2019-22

'This book is valuable for two reasons. Firstly, it allows us to compare the Russian strategy and shipbuilding plans described here with the real-world application of Russian strategy in Ukraine. Secondly, it reveals that while the Russian army and air force have been seriously bloodied in the Ukraine war, the bulk of the navy is more dangerous than ever, due to Kaliber land-attack cruise missiles and long-range strikes.'
Admiral James G. Foggo III, Dean of the Center for Maritime Strategy in Washington, DC and Former Commander of United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa

Foreword - Eleanor Stack
Introduction: the fall and rise of Russia's power at sea - Andrew Monaghan
Part I: Maritime strategies in historical context
1 Russia and some principles of maritime strategy - Andrew Lambert
2 Russia: a sea power of a sort? - Geoffrey Till
Part II: Russia's maritime strategies and capabilities today and tomorrow
3 Russian strategy and power at sea: should we care? - Clive Johnstone
4 Evolution of Russian naval strategy - Michael Kofman
5 Russia as a maritime power: economic interests and capabilities - Richard Connolly
6 Russia's future naval capabilities - Dmitry Gorenburg
Part III: The challenge: the Russian navy in practice
7 Toward an understanding of maritime conflict with Russia - Michael B. Petersen
Index

Editors

Andrew Monaghan is Director of the Russia Research Network and a Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London

Richard Connolly is Director of Eastern Advisory Group and an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London