Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research

Russian military organisation

The Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (Russian: Главное управление глубоководных исследований, transcribed as Glavnoye upravlenie glubokovodnikh issledovanii or GUGI), is a Russian agency belonging to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It is one of the most secret parts of the navy.[1][2] Its objective is to operate submarines that are able to dive deep into the sea, in order to gather intelligence or to work with installations on the seabed including sabotage.[3][4][5] Its original target was the Western surveillance systems of submarines from the Soviet Union[6] and it is able to eavesdrop and sever the fiber optic cables crossing the seas.[7][8] It also tests emergency equipment and does medical research on the physiology of diving.

The year of creation of the directorate is uncertain. 1963 (as military unit 90802), 1965,[9] and 1976 have been mentioned.[3]

The directorate is directly subordinate to the Ministry of Defense.[10][6] It is located separated from the normal navy bases, with its headquarters in Saint Petersburg and a naval base in Olenya Bay on the Kola Peninsula.[3]

Ship

GUGI has submarines that can reach depths of 6000 meters. They are equipped with tools, cameras and lighting in order to carry out operations there.[6] It has more than 50 ships, submarines and floating dry docks, which hide submarines from satellites.[5]

  • Evgeny Gorigledzhan[11]
  • Yantar, which can carry and repair several minisubmarines[5][12]
  • Belgorod (submarine)[13]
  • Nelma (submarine) [ru][3]
  • Losharik, a 70-meter long atomic submarine that reaches 2000 meters and can be carried by Orenburg[5][3]
  • Khaborovsk (submarine)[3]

References

  1. ^ "Ядерный спецназ. Как устроена самая секретная структура ВМФ России (Nuclear Special Forces. How the most secret structure of the Russian Navy works)". Hi-Tech Mail. 5 August 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-08-06. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  2. ^ Sciutto, Jim (September 6, 2024). "Exclusive: US sees increasing risk of Russian 'sabotage' of key undersea cables by secretive military unit". CNN. Archived from the original on September 6, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Abramowicz, Victor. "Russian submarines: Threats and opportunities for Britain". Council of Geostrategy. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  4. ^ Bendelin, Simon (12 Sep 2016). "Ryska styrkor kan kapa Gotlands kablar". Gotlands Tidningar: 2. den ryska havsforskningsorganisationen Gugi i själva verket ägnar sig åt spioneri och sabotage. Deras huvudsyfte ska vara att kunna slå ut infrastruktur genom att klippa av viktiga överföringskablar på havsbottnarna.
  5. ^ a b c d Holmström, Mikael (25 Aug 2016). "Ryska ubåtar kan slå mot internet". Dagens Nyheter: 16.
  6. ^ a b c von Braun, Joakim (1 Oct 2022). "Säkerhetsexpert: Nordsjöns och Atlantens ledningar är mycket sårbara". Blekinge läns tidning.
  7. ^ Töpffer, Michael (25 Aug 2016). "RYSK MILITÄR KAN SLÅ UT INTERNET". Expressen: 12.
  8. ^ Stenlund, Peter (6 Jan 2020). "Ur en bekymrad europés perspektiv". Hufvudstadsbladet: 21.
  9. ^ von Braun, Joakim. "Ryssland: Mästare i att smyga på havsbotten (Russia: Masters of Stealth on the Seabed)". Säkerhetsrådet. Fri värld. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  10. ^ "You Need to Know About Russia's Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (GUGI)". The Lyncean Group of San Diego. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  11. ^ "Russia's New GUGI Spy Ship Slips Her Moorings". H I Sutton - Covert shores. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Russian ship loitering near undersea cables". H I Sutton - Covert shores. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  13. ^ "Russia's New Super Submarine, Belgorod (K-329)". H I Sutton - Covert shores. Retrieved 2 October 2022.