New Project Spotlight!

Eyes on #PLAN's growing amphibious forces (Type 075, 071, 076, Shuiqiao)! 🛰️

I'll be using @SkyfiApp for regular optical & SAR imagery of key naval bases (Zhoushan, Zhanjiang, Yulin, Longpo, etc.) & shipyards (Hudong, GSI) for force posture analysis

Stay tuned, more to come!
Just a bit of a teaser as I establish a baseline understanding of who is where, when...

Somewhat out of the ordinary, but there was a Type 075 LHD at Longpo on 4 May 2025.

While it's a bit blurry at 99cm resolution, you can see the pennant # painted on the deck (just like in the old days 🤣): 34, the newest Type 075

Not sure if she is in service yet, but she is making the rounds

Src📷: Acquired through @SkyfiApp

@Schizointel @IndoPacWatch

🇨🇳GSI: Longxue Island🇨🇳
h/t @CovertShores for the collaboration & guidance on the ID

The intent was to look at the new amphibious vessels at GSI as reported by @CovertShores & @tshugart3 among others While taking a closer look at GSI on 10 January 2025 with 15cm Maxar📷 (4 band) I noticed something in the floating dry dock

Unfortunately, I can't share the 15cm📷 publicly but I am able to share 50cm Airbus📷 from the same day

🚨update🚨
107th Arsenal of the GRAU-Toropets
50cm imagery from 12:27 UTC on 19 September 2024

Long thread of zoomed in images. Overall, almost complete devastation in areas B & C

Area A has a lot of the 'hardened' bunkers destroyed but not all of them

enjoy...

https://twitter.com/MT_Anderson/status/1836788608239358243

Section A

🇷🇺IVANOVO SEVERNY - AIR BASE🇷🇺
With all the attention on the A-50 given the recent downing of 2x, it seemed like a good time to look at the home base of the AEW&C squadron in the RuAF.
1/ One observation jumps off the page. The boneyard typically has 9x A-50 but now only has 6x with clear signs of movement in the snow. Also, those 6x, appear to have no engines and covers on the radomes.
2/

🇷🇺BLACK SEA FLEET - SEVASTOPOL🇷🇺
0.3M📷 from 31 Oct 2023. Ultra high res look at the dry docks around Sevastopol. The stripped down Minsk (127) has left the dry dock and is tied up just north of there. Rostov-on-Don (KILO) is still in the dry dock.

h/t @CovertShores

The weapons runner SPARTA IV is still in the dry dock in the back bay but she is joined by another Ropucha Class. Not sure what is going on, could just be regular maintenance.

🇷🇺BLACK SEA FLEET🇷🇺
0.5M📷 (25 Sep 2023) of Feodosia, Novorossiysk and Sevastopol. Let's start with Feo. Haven't seen this many vessels of the BSF there before.
2x Alexandrit Class
1x Karakurt Class
1x Ropucha Class
1x Pr. 21631 Buyan-M
1x Grain Thief GOLDEN YARA Moving to Novorossiysk...
Once again, a good deal more than usual at the piers
3x KILO Class
2x Grigorovich Class
2x Pr 21631 Buyan-M
3x Ropucha Class
1x Pr. 22160
1x Ivan Gren Class
1x Weapons Runner PIZHMA

1/3🧵
🇷🇺NORTHERN FLEET - SUB PIERS🇷🇺
0.5M📸 of Gadzhiyevo, Olenya Guba & Polyarny from 22 May 2023.

Gadzhiyevo:
2x Delta IV Class
1x Borei Class
2x Akula Class 2/3🧵
Olenya Guba:
1x Modified Delta IV Class - 🇷🇺ORENBURG (BS-136)
1x Yasen Class - 🇷🇺SEVERODVINSK (K-560)
1x 🇷🇺Yantar Intelligence Vessel (Project 22010)

Gone from the pier is the 🇷🇺PODMOSKOVYE (BS-64). h/t to @The_Lookout_N for help with the Yasen ID.

🧵1/4
🇷🇺BSF: SEVASTOPOL🇷🇺
0.5M📸 from 3 May 2023. Includes Frigate pier, Avlita Grain Terminal, Ammunition Pier, Refueling Pier, Pivdenna Bay and the Submarine piers as well as a look at layered defenses throughout the harbor. 🧵2/4
Frigate pier is still missing the primary warships of the BSF. Only addition from yesterday is a Grisha III Class. MATROS KOSHKA is buttoned up and ready to transport her #stolenukrainiangrain (she left later in the morning).

🧵1/3
🇷🇺Russian Aviation Assets: Sea of Azov🇷🇺
Given these are close to Crimea, on the Sea of Azov, I thought it would be pertinent to look at two additional bases outside of Crimea: Krymsk & Primorsko Akhtarsk. They are the yellow markers vs. the red which I have already covered 🧵2/3
🇷🇺KRYMSK🇷🇺
Most fighter #'s I've seen near Ukraine
Su-27 x52
Su-30 x9
Most interesting is the A-50M taxiing for takeoff. 📸 was from Mar 8 which had a heavy missile attack that evening. Was the A-50 coordinating the air launched cruise missile strikes? Is she based there?

🧵1/7
🇷🇺Russian Aviation Assets: Crimea🇷🇺
A thread about Russian Aviation assets in Crimea. As rumors about a Ukrainian offensive in the spring gains steam, let’s look at the makeup of the aircraft at those airfields to understand current capabilities (and counts). 🧵2/7
There are 4 primary military airfields in Crimea (as follows) ⬇️
BELBEK: 38th Fighter Aviation Regiment
GVARDEYSKOYE: 37th Composite Aviation Regiment
SAKI: 43rd Independent Naval Attack Aviation Regiment
DZHANKOY: 39th Helicopter Regiment

🧵1/5
🇷🇺BLACK SEA FLEET UPDATE🇷🇺
Updated imagery for Mar 2, 2023. 0.5M📸 for most of Sevastopol & Novorossiysk and 10M📸 for Sevastopol & the SW/S coast of Crimea. Definitely some interesting changes since the last view. 🧵2/5
First look is at Sevastopol⬇️
Frigate Pier - 1 Krivak & 1 Grigorovich are missing (1 Krivak, 1 Grig, 1 Pr 21631, 2 Bora present)
Ammo Pier - Ropucha, no action on the jetty
Refueling - No major vessels
Pivdenna - 3x Ropucha, Alligator, Grisha & Yuriy Ivanov
Sub Pier - Empty

🧵1/5
🇷🇺RU LONG RANGE AVIATION🇷🇺
We have all seen the dispersal of the bomber force at Engels after the attacks in early December on Engels & Dyagilevo. What we haven’t been able to discern is where did these aircraft go and are they still involved in the missile attacks on UKR. 🧵2/5
The primary bases for long range aviation are: Engels (nearest UKR), Belaya (near Lake Baikal) and Urkainka (Far East). It has also been confirmed that Tu-22s are operating out of Shaikovka (north of Bryansk) and Dyagilevo (near Ryazan) and participating in attacks on UKR.

🧵1/4
🇧🇾BARANOVICHI AIR BASE🇧🇾
0.5M📸 from Jan 17, 2023 (12:27 UTC). First non-cloudy view since the Russian-Belarus joint air exercises began. Caveat, I'm not an expert at IDs of Russian Fighters, so feel free to provide feedback/input. 🧵2/4
There were 4 primary areas and 3 individual spots outlined in the image. Overall, the counts/types are as follows:
Mig-29 x12
Su-27 x20
Su-30 x9
An-26 x1
An-12 x1