Against a backdrop of the uneasy deal between Turkey and Russia in Syria, and growing national emergencies due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Russian warships continue to pass south through the Bosphorus.

2020 continues to see explosive boats being launched against tanker traffic in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea area. They also pose a threat to warships, particularly of the Saudi-led coalition. This represents a persistent threat to International SLOCs (Sea Lines of Communication) in the Southern Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb strait, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea. The threat can exist over 100 nautical miles off the coast.

The Laika class submarine follows on from the Pr.885/885M Severodvinsk Class cruise missile submarines. But it is not a straightforward successor. It was first revealed in the background of a media report on a Russian defense exhibition in December. Although it has not been officially confirmed the new design is likely to be the next generation Russian attack submarine project known as Husky.