{"id":7581,"date":"2016-02-05T11:22:41","date_gmt":"2016-02-05T11:22:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/?p=7581"},"modified":"2016-02-05T12:55:00","modified_gmt":"2016-02-05T12:55:00","slug":"feb05-crimea-bal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/feb05-crimea-bal\/","title":{"rendered":"Russian Officer Disclosed Secrets of &#8216;BAL&#8217; Surface-to-Ship Missile Complex in Crimea"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>We continue to document and identify the weaponry and equipment of the Russian occupation forces in Crimea. The current\u00a0OSINT investigation shows intelligence data on the exact location of the Russian &#8216;BAL&#8217; coastal\u00a0surface-to-ship missile complexes of the newly created 15th coastal defense missile-artillery brigade. The equipment for this unit has been transferred to the Crimea from the Republic of Dagestan, Russia.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One of the main reasons to capture the Crimea was\u00a0practical implementation of the so-called\u00a0&#8216;advanced military presence&#8217; doctrine. After the annexation, the once\u00a0flourishing Crimea becomes now a military base, a kind of &#8216;natural aircraft carrier&#8217;.\u00a0This trend continues to persist at the expense of social and economic development of the region.<\/p>\n<p>Besides that, starting from March of 2015, the Russian occupation forces have\u00a0built up the air defense forces by moving to the peninsula several\u00a0anti-aircraft missile systems. In particular, the 46th separate coastal defense missile Marines division (military unit No. 85103,\u00a0Caspian Flotilla, Kaspiysk, Republic of Dagestan, Russia) was relocated to Crimea in 2014. It has the latest &#8216;BAL&#8217; mobile\u00a0coastal\u00a0surface-to-ship missile systems (<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NATO_reporting_name\">NATO reporting name<\/a>: SSC-6 &#8216;Sennight&#8217;).<\/p>\n<ul class=\"st-toggle\">\n<li class=\"\">\n<h3 class=\"toggle-title\">Information about &#039;BAL&#039; coastal surface-to-ship missile system<i class=\"icon-plus\"><\/i><i class=\"icon icon-minus\"><\/i><\/h3>\n<div class=\"toggle-content\" style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"txt-content\">\n<p>&#8216;The complex was designed to control the\u00a0territorial waters and the breakdown zones; protection of naval bases and other coastal facilities and infrastructure. The &#8216;Bal&#8217; system includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>up to 2 self-propelled command and communication control centers<\/li>\n<li>up to 4 self-propelled launchers<\/li>\n<li>Kh-35\/Kh-35E and Kh-35\u0423\/Kh-35UE missiles in transporter-launcher containers. A typical launcher has 8 containers<\/li>\n<li>up to 4 transporter-erector units designed to prepare\u00a0the secondary\u00a0volley<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Military characteristics:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Effective distance: 120 km for Kh-35 missile (260\u00a0km for Kh-35U)<\/li>\n<li>Distance from the launching\u00a0position to\u00a0the coastline:\u00a0up to 10 km<\/li>\n<li>Quantity of the missiles in each launcher and loading unit: up to 8<\/li>\n<li>Rocket launching interval: not more than 3 s<\/li>\n<li>Maximum movement rate: 60 km\/h (off road &#8211; 20 km\/h)<\/li>\n<li>Missile\u00a0launching mass: 620 kg.<\/li>\n<li>Total missile establishment: up to\u00a064.<\/li>\n<li>Endurance distance: at least\u00a0850 km.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The division mentioned above\u00a0has 4 launchers, the control center and a transporter and\u00a0is included into the 15th brigade (military unit No. 80365, Sevastopol, occupied Crimea).<\/p>\n<p>It is noteworthy that there are almost no materials about its &#8216;interior\u00a0life&#8217; in open access. The photos of &#8216;BAL&#8217; systems on a parade or training were the rare exceptions. The InformNapalm&#8217;s volunteers were able to\u00a0unveil new details about the military equipment and personnel of the brigade (thanks to a Russian officer who uploaded all the needed information to his social profile).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Background data:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Name: <strong>Melnikov Nikolai Petrovich<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Rank:\u00a0senior\u00a0lieutenant<\/li>\n<li>Born: in Kazan on November 3, 1990<\/li>\n<li>Education: Kansk\u00a0Naval Sea Cadet Corps (Kansk, Russia), Tikhookeansky Makarov Higher Naval School<\/li>\n<li>Car: license plate No. &#8216;m863OE (123)&#8217;<\/li>\n<li>Skype:\u00a0nikolay23544<\/li>\n<li>VKontakte: <a href=\"http:\/\/vk.com\/id19851006\">profile<\/a> (archive of <a href=\"http:\/\/archive.is\/IHt9X\">profile<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/archive.is\/4aawx\">album<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In 2012-2013 Melnikov posted a lot of photos from his service in Caspian Flotilla in the 46th separate coastal defense missile Marines division. This is justified with the geotags (Karabudakhkentsky raion of Dagestan, Kaspiysk) and other characteristics (specific military equipment, landscape, etc). The officer has a lot of pictures in his profile &#8211; many of them disclose the workflow of the 46th brigade at those times and the names of the brothers-in-arms. But we will use only several photos from that period &#8211; the ones which show of the &#8216;BAL&#8217; complex elements.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/1234.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19595\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19595\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/1234.jpg\" alt=\"1234\" width=\"977\" height=\"966\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/234.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19596\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19596\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/234.jpg\" alt=\"234\" width=\"1141\" height=\"1033\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/345.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19597\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19597\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/345.jpg\" alt=\"345\" width=\"1198\" height=\"899\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The picture made by Melnikov on October 22, 2012,\u00a0draws our attention. The comment below it says: &#8220;<em>Helicopter pad.\u00a0It arrived from Mozdok, we were fueling it. Then it flew away to bomb the bearded&#8221;.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/678.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19598\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19598\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/678.jpg\" alt=\"678\" width=\"1143\" height=\"1036\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The &#8216;Crimean period&#8217; of this &#8216;talented&#8217; Russian officer&#8217;s service is the most interesting for us. The first pictures were uploaded in September of 2014. The picture showing his new\u00a0shoulder straps of the senior lieutenant has the &#8216;<em>Sevastopol<\/em>&#8216; geotag. The inscription\u00a0on the straps\u00a0says: &#8220;Senior Lieutenant Melnikov Petrovich. KUVO&#8217;s [abbreviation of the Command of the Southern Military District] order No. 117 from June 23, 2014&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/5674.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19599\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19599\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/5674.jpg\" alt=\"5674\" width=\"820\" height=\"988\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/sev.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19600\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-19600\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/sev.jpg\" alt=\"\u0441\u0435\u0432\" width=\"640\" height=\"447\" \/><\/a>The next photo registered the movement of the division&#8217;s equipment convoy (Mykhailivka village near Saky town, to the north-west of Simferopol). The coordinates are\u00a0<strong>45\u00b006&#8217;44.1&#8243;N 33\u00b038&#8217;49.6&#8243;E<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/1jf.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19602\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19602\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/1jf.jpg\" alt=\"1\u0439\u0444\" width=\"1144\" height=\"1012\" \/><\/a>Of course, such officer could not be left without a &#8216;For the Return of Crimea&#8217; medal. And here it is (order by the Russian Ministry of Defense No. 411 from July 1, 2014, signed by colonel Oleg Budanov, the commander of the military unit No.\u00a080365).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/medal.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19603\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19603\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/medal.jpg\" alt=\"\u043c\u0435\u0434\u0430\u043b\u044c\" width=\"680\" height=\"495\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As it was previously mentioned, this military unit No. 80365 is the 15th coastal defense brigade. This means that it is documentaly proved that the Dagestanian &#8216;BAL&#8217; complexes became the Crimean.<\/p>\n<h2>Georeferencing of the &#8216;BAL&#8217; complexes in the Crimea<\/h2>\n<p>During the investigation of the Melnikov&#8217;s social profile, we found several locations where the &#8216;BAL&#8217; systems were noticed.<\/p>\n<p><em>Location 1<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Date: April, 2015<\/li>\n<li>Landmark:\u00a0<em><strong>44\u00b029&#8217;52.7&#8243;N 33\u00b032&#8217;50.1&#8243;E<\/strong><\/em>, to the east of Cape Fiolent near Sevastopol<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/geo1.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19605\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19605\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/geo1.jpg\" alt=\"\u0433\u0435\u043e1\" width=\"822\" height=\"620\" \/><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Location 2<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Date: November 2, 2015<\/li>\n<li>Landmark: <strong>45\u00b023&#8217;26.7&#8243;N 32\u00b029&#8217;47.1&#8243;E<\/strong>, Olenivka village in Chernomorsk raion, near\u00a0Cape Tarkhankut<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>One of the 5 vehicles had a military license plate No. <strong>[0680 \u0410\u041e (21) ]<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/geo2.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19606\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19606\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/geo2.jpg\" alt=\"\u0433\u0435\u043e2\" width=\"822\" height=\"620\" \/><\/a>A field camp at the same location was registered in November of 2015. The photo shows Melnikov with his subordinates.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/palatki.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19607\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19607\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/palatki.jpg\" alt=\"\u043f\u0430\u043b\u0430\u0442\u043a\u0438\" width=\"880\" height=\"528\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>It should be noted that the locations of the &#8216;BAL&#8217; systems are pretty vulnerable for guerrilla raids and are the primary targets in case of military conflict buildup on the peninsula. The locations\u00a0where the &#8216;BAL&#8217; complexes of the 15th brigade have been\u00a0noticed are shown on the map.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/kart.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19608\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19608\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/kart.jpg\" alt=\"kart\" width=\"922\" height=\"544\" \/><\/a>In conclusion, the\u00a0InformNapalm international community&#8217;s volunteers wish the officer of the Russian occupation forces\u00a0&#8216;success&#8217; in his\u00a0future service in the sunny Crimea. We are grateful for the assistance in the disclosing\u00a0of restricted\u00a0information. Probably, his subsequent &#8216;career&#8217; after this publication will\u00a0be characterized by a photo from the period of his service in Dagestan [inscription on the water melon &#8211; &#8216;ass&#8217;].<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/zhopa.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19610\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19610\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/zhopa.jpg\" alt=\"\u0436\u043e\u043f\u0430\" width=\"1280\" height=\"884\" \/><\/a><em>(CC BY)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/19590-brk-bal-v-krymu\/\">Original article<\/a>\u00a0by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/NikolayMahno\" target=\"_blank\">Nikolay Mahno<\/a>, translated by Stepan Grishin<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We continue to document and identify the weaponry and equipment of the Russian occupation forces in Crimea&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":104,"featured_media":7582,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[530,528,5],"tags":[60,331,175],"class_list":["post-7581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crimea","category-news","category-terrorussians","tag-crimea","tag-russian-military-equipment","tag-russian-occupants"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Russian Officer Disclosed Secrets of &#039;BAL&#039; Surface-to-Ship Missile Complex in Crimea - InformNapalm.org (English)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/feb05-crimea-bal\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Russian Officer Disclosed Secrets of &#039;BAL&#039; Surface-to-Ship Missile Complex in Crimea - InformNapalm.org (English)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"...and we really appreciate that\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/feb05-crimea-bal\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"InformNapalm.org (English)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-02-05T11:22:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-02-05T12:55:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/02\/prime-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"642\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"336\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"informnapalm\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"informnapalm\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/feb05-crimea-bal\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/feb05-crimea-bal\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"informnapalm\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/0261f1f4bc0b4dfc0f937ef6b9df433c\"},\"headline\":\"Russian Officer Disclosed Secrets of &#8216;BAL&#8217; 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Surface-to-Ship Missile Complex in Crimea","datePublished":"2016-02-05T11:22:41+00:00","dateModified":"2016-02-05T12:55:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/feb05-crimea-bal\/"},"wordCount":968,"commentCount":4,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/feb05-crimea-bal\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/02\/prime-1.jpg","keywords":["Crimea","Russian military equipment","Russian occupants"],"articleSection":["Crimea","News","Russian Military Assessment"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/feb05-crimea-bal\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/feb05-crimea-bal\/","url":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/feb05-crimea-bal\/","name":"Russian Officer Disclosed Secrets of 'BAL' Surface-to-Ship Missile Complex in Crimea - InformNapalm.org (English)","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/feb05-crimea-bal\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/feb05-crimea-bal\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/02\/prime-1.jpg","datePublished":"2016-02-05T11:22:41+00:00","dateModified":"2016-02-05T12:55:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/0261f1f4bc0b4dfc0f937ef6b9df433c"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/feb05-crimea-bal\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/feb05-crimea-bal\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/feb05-crimea-bal\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/02\/prime-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2016\/02\/prime-1.jpg","width":642,"height":336},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/feb05-crimea-bal\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Russian Officer Disclosed Secrets of &#8216;BAL&#8217; Surface-to-Ship Missile Complex in Crimea"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/","name":"InformNapalm.org (English)","description":"Latest News from Ukraine","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/0261f1f4bc0b4dfc0f937ef6b9df433c","name":"informnapalm","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e6c2ff9fb0c7a300f1993bd8b7822f75370453035bf6d8018765e82692cfa7a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e6c2ff9fb0c7a300f1993bd8b7822f75370453035bf6d8018765e82692cfa7a1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"informnapalm"},"url":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/author\/informnapalm\/"}]}},"post_src":"<strong>We continue to document and identify the weaponry and equipment of the Russian occupation forces in Crimea. The current\u00a0OSINT investigation shows intelligence data on the exact location of the Russian 'BAL' coastal\u00a0surface-to-ship missile complexes of the newly created 15th coastal defense missile-artillery brigade. The equipment for this unit has been transferred to the Crimea from the Republic of Dagestan, Russia.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nOne of the main reasons to capture the Crimea was\u00a0practical implementation of the so-called\u00a0'advanced military presence' doctrine. After the annexation, the once\u00a0flourishing Crimea becomes now a military base, a kind of 'natural aircraft carrier'.\u00a0This trend continues to persist at the expense of social and economic development of the region.\r\n\r\nBesides that, starting from March of 2015, the Russian occupation forces have\u00a0built up the air defense forces by moving to the peninsula several\u00a0anti-aircraft missile systems. In particular, the 46th separate coastal defense missile Marines division (military unit No. 85103,\u00a0Caspian Flotilla, Kaspiysk, Republic of Dagestan, Russia) was relocated to Crimea in 2014. It has the latest 'BAL' mobile\u00a0coastal\u00a0surface-to-ship missile systems (<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NATO_reporting_name\">NATO reporting name<\/a>: SSC-6 'Sennight').\r\n\r\n[toggle]\r\n[toggle_item title =\"Information about 'BAL' coastal\u00a0surface-to-ship missile system\"]\r\n\r\n'The complex was designed to control the\u00a0territorial waters and the breakdown zones; protection of naval bases and other coastal facilities and infrastructure. The 'Bal' system includes:\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>up to 2 self-propelled command and communication control centers<\/li>\r\n\t<li>up to 4 self-propelled launchers<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Kh-35\/Kh-35E and Kh-35\u0423\/Kh-35UE missiles in transporter-launcher containers. A typical launcher has 8 containers<\/li>\r\n\t<li>up to 4 transporter-erector units designed to prepare\u00a0the secondary\u00a0volley<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nMilitary characteristics:\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Effective distance: 120 km for Kh-35 missile (260\u00a0km for Kh-35U)<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Distance from the launching\u00a0position to\u00a0the coastline:\u00a0up to 10 km<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Quantity of the missiles in each launcher and loading unit: up to 8<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Rocket launching interval: not more than 3 s<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Maximum movement rate: 60 km\/h (off road - 20 km\/h)<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Missile\u00a0launching mass: 620 kg.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Total missile establishment: up to\u00a064.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Endurance distance: at least\u00a0850 km.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n[\/toggle_item]\r\n[\/toggle]\r\n\r\nThe division mentioned above\u00a0has 4 launchers, the control center and a transporter and\u00a0is included into the 15th brigade (military unit No. 80365, Sevastopol, occupied Crimea).\r\n\r\nIt is noteworthy that there are almost no materials about its 'interior\u00a0life' in open access. The photos of 'BAL' systems on a parade or training were the rare exceptions. The InformNapalm's volunteers were able to\u00a0unveil new details about the military equipment and personnel of the brigade (thanks to a Russian officer who uploaded all the needed information to his social profile).\r\n\r\n<strong>Background data:<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Name: <strong>Melnikov Nikolai Petrovich<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Rank:\u00a0senior\u00a0lieutenant<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Born: in Kazan on November 3, 1990<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Education: Kansk\u00a0Naval Sea Cadet Corps (Kansk, Russia), Tikhookeansky Makarov Higher Naval School<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Car: license plate No. 'm863OE (123)'<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Skype:\u00a0nikolay23544<\/li>\r\n\t<li>VKontakte: <a href=\"http:\/\/vk.com\/id19851006\">profile<\/a> (archive of <a href=\"http:\/\/archive.is\/IHt9X\">profile<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/archive.is\/4aawx\">album<\/a>)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nIn 2012-2013 Melnikov posted a lot of photos from his service in Caspian Flotilla in the 46th separate coastal defense missile Marines division. This is justified with the geotags (Karabudakhkentsky raion of Dagestan, Kaspiysk) and other characteristics (specific military equipment, landscape, etc). The officer has a lot of pictures in his profile - many of them disclose the workflow of the 46th brigade at those times and the names of the brothers-in-arms. But we will use only several photos from that period - the ones which show of the 'BAL' complex elements.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/1234.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19595\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19595\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/1234.jpg\" alt=\"1234\" width=\"977\" height=\"966\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/234.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19596\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19596\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/234.jpg\" alt=\"234\" width=\"1141\" height=\"1033\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/345.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19597\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19597\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/345.jpg\" alt=\"345\" width=\"1198\" height=\"899\" \/><\/a>\r\n\r\nThe picture made by Melnikov on October 22, 2012,\u00a0draws our attention. The comment below it says: \"<em>Helicopter pad.\u00a0It arrived from Mozdok, we were fueling it. Then it flew away to bomb the bearded\".<\/em>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/678.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19598\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19598\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/678.jpg\" alt=\"678\" width=\"1143\" height=\"1036\" \/><\/a>\r\n\r\nThe 'Crimean period' of this 'talented' Russian officer's service is the most interesting for us. The first pictures were uploaded in September of 2014. The picture showing his new\u00a0shoulder straps of the senior lieutenant has the '<em>Sevastopol<\/em>' geotag. The inscription\u00a0on the straps\u00a0says: \"Senior Lieutenant Melnikov Petrovich. KUVO's [abbreviation of the Command of the Southern Military District] order No. 117 from June 23, 2014\".\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/5674.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19599\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19599\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/5674.jpg\" alt=\"5674\" width=\"820\" height=\"988\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/sev.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19600\"><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-19600\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/sev.jpg\" alt=\"\u0441\u0435\u0432\" width=\"640\" height=\"447\" \/><\/a>The next photo registered the movement of the division's equipment convoy (Mykhailivka village near Saky town, to the north-west of Simferopol). The coordinates are\u00a0<strong>45\u00b006'44.1\"N 33\u00b038'49.6\"E<\/strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/1jf.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19602\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19602\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/1jf.jpg\" alt=\"1\u0439\u0444\" width=\"1144\" height=\"1012\" \/><\/a>Of course, such officer could not be left without a 'For the Return of Crimea' medal. And here it is (order by the Russian Ministry of Defense No. 411 from July 1, 2014, signed by colonel Oleg Budanov, the commander of the military unit No.\u00a080365).\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/medal.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19603\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19603\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/medal.jpg\" alt=\"\u043c\u0435\u0434\u0430\u043b\u044c\" width=\"680\" height=\"495\" \/><\/a>\r\n\r\nAs it was previously mentioned, this military unit No. 80365 is the 15th coastal defense brigade. This means that it is documentaly proved that the Dagestanian 'BAL' complexes became the Crimean.\r\n<h2>Georeferencing of the 'BAL' complexes in the Crimea<\/h2>\r\nDuring the investigation of the Melnikov's social profile, we found several locations where the 'BAL' systems were noticed.\r\n\r\n<em>Location 1<\/em>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Date: April, 2015<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Landmark:\u00a0<em><strong>44\u00b029'52.7\"N 33\u00b032'50.1\"E<\/strong><\/em>, to the east of Cape Fiolent near Sevastopol<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/geo1.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19605\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19605\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/geo1.jpg\" alt=\"\u0433\u0435\u043e1\" width=\"822\" height=\"620\" \/><\/a><\/em>\r\n\r\n<em>Location 2<\/em>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Date: November 2, 2015<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Landmark: <strong>45\u00b023'26.7\"N 32\u00b029'47.1\"E<\/strong>, Olenivka village in Chernomorsk raion, near\u00a0Cape Tarkhankut<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nOne of the 5 vehicles had a military license plate No. <strong>[0680 \u0410\u041e (21) ]<\/strong>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/geo2.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19606\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19606\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/geo2.jpg\" alt=\"\u0433\u0435\u043e2\" width=\"822\" height=\"620\" \/><\/a>A field camp at the same location was registered in November of 2015. The photo shows Melnikov with his subordinates.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/palatki.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19607\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19607\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/palatki.jpg\" alt=\"\u043f\u0430\u043b\u0430\u0442\u043a\u0438\" width=\"880\" height=\"528\" \/><\/a>\r\n\r\nIt should be noted that the locations of the 'BAL' systems are pretty vulnerable for guerrilla raids and are the primary targets in case of military conflict buildup on the peninsula. The locations\u00a0where the 'BAL' complexes of the 15th brigade have been\u00a0noticed are shown on the map.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/kart.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19608\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19608\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/kart.jpg\" alt=\"kart\" width=\"922\" height=\"544\" \/><\/a>In conclusion, the\u00a0InformNapalm international community's volunteers wish the officer of the Russian occupation forces\u00a0'success' in his\u00a0future service in the sunny Crimea. We are grateful for the assistance in the disclosing\u00a0of restricted\u00a0information. Probably, his subsequent 'career' after this publication will\u00a0be characterized by a photo from the period of his service in Dagestan [inscription on the water melon - 'ass'].\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/zhopa.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-19610\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-19610\" src=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/zhopa.jpg\" alt=\"\u0436\u043e\u043f\u0430\" width=\"1280\" height=\"884\" \/><\/a><em>(CC BY)<\/em>\r\n\r\n<em><a href=\"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/19590-brk-bal-v-krymu\/\">Original article<\/a>\u00a0by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/NikolayMahno\" target=\"_blank\">Nikolay Mahno<\/a>, translated by Stepan Grishin<\/em>","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/104"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7581"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7581\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7593,"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7581\/revisions\/7593"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}