The Navy is a Service of the Russian Federation’s Armed Forces (RF AF). It is intended for the armed defence of the interests of Russia, conducting combat operations at sea and ocean theaters of war. The Navy is able to cause nuclear strikes against ground targets of the enemy, destroy groupings of its Navy at sea and bases, disrupt ocean and sea communications of the enemy and defend the maritime transportation, promote the Land Force (LF) during operations in continental theaters of military operations, land marines, participate in repelling the enemy assaults, etc.

Currently, the Navy is assigned to fulfill the following tasks:

• deterrence of using military force or threat of force against the Russian Federation;
• military protection of the sovereignty of the Russian Federation, extending beyond its land territory to the internal waters and territorial seas, of its sovereign rights within the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, as well as of the freedom of the open seas;
• establishment and maintenance of security of the sea-economic activities of the Russian Federation in the oceans;
• ensuring naval presence of the Russian Federation in the oceans, demonstration of the Naval Ensign and military power, visits of ships and vessels of the Navy;
• participation in military, peacekeeping and humanitarian actions, meeting the interests of the Russian Federation and carried out by the world community.

Depending on the state of military-political situation in the world and its regions the Navy’s tasks are differentiated as follows:

In peacetime:

• Combat patrol and combat duty of strategic missile submarines (SMS) with installed readiness for strikes against assigned targets of the potential enemy.
• Combat support of SMS (securing combat stability of SMS) on routes and in areas of combat patrol.
• Search for nuclear-powered missile and multipurpose submarines of probable opponent, and tracking them on routes and in areas of tasks’ solving in readiness for their destruction after the outbreak of combat actions.
• Surveillance aircraft carrier and other ship strike groupings of the potential opponent, tracking them in their combat maneuvering in readiness for destroying strikes against them from the start of combat actions.
• Disclosure and impediment of activities of the forces and means of reconnaissance of the enemy in the seas and ocean areas adjacent to our coast, observing and tracking them in readiness for their destruction after the beginning of combat actions.
• Ensuring deployment of naval forces in the period of threat.
• Identifying communications and equipment of ocean and naval theaters in strategically important areas of the oceans.
• Study of the likely areas of combat actions and conditions of use of various Arms of the Navy, of weapons and equipment.
• Reconnaissance of activities of foreign ships and aviation.
• Protection of shipping.
• Implementation of foreign policy actions of the Government.
• Participation as a part of the strategic nuclear forces in strategic nuclear deterrence.
• Securing non-nuclear deterrence against the threat or use of military force against Russia from the ocean and sea directions.
• Protection and guarding of the State Border of the Russian Federation in the underwater environment.
• Protection and guarding of the State Border of the Russian Federation in the air space and control of its use.
• Protection of the State Border of the Russian Federation on land and at sea by military means.
• Rendering assistance to the Border Troops of the FSS of the Russian Federation to protect the state border, territorial seas and exclusive economic zone of Russia.
• Rendering assistance to the Internal Troops and the bodies of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in suppression of internal conflicts and other actions with the use of armed violence in the Russian Federation, guaranteeing public security and state of emergency in the manner prescribed by Russian legislation. The defence of seacoast.
• Promotion to the Civil Defence Troops and the bodies of the RF Emergencies Ministry in the aftermath of accidents, fires and natural disasters.

In the period of threat:

• Transfer of the Forces (Troops) from peaceful to military time and their quick deployment.
• Participation in localization of possible cross-border armed conflicts.
• Protection of shipping and industrial activities in the territorial seas and exclusive economic zone of Russia, and if necessary – in the crisis areas of the World ocean.

In wartime:

• Defeating the enemy's ground facilities in remote areas.
• Securing combat stability of SMS (strategic missile submarines).
• Defeating strike antisubmarine and other groupings of the enemy, and coastal facilities too.
• Maintaining favourable operational mode.
• Supporting the Front’s troops from the sea during conduct of their defence or attack in the coastal areas.
• Defence of the seacoast.