Caspian Flotilla

Caspian Flotilla
Russian: Каспийская флотилия Kaspiyskaya flotiliya
Great emblem of the Caspian Flotilla
Active	November 1722 – present
Allegiance	Russian Empire (1722–1917)  Soviet Russia (1917–1922)  Soviet Union (1922–1991)  Commonwealth of Independent States (1991–1992)  Russian Federation (1992–present)
Branch	Russian Navy
Role	Naval warfare Amphibious warfare
Size	c. 13 surface combatants 8 landing craft 8 minesweepers 3 anti-saboteur boats
Part of	Russian Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ	Astrakhan (HQ) Makhachkala Kaspiysk Baku (historical)
Engagements	Russo-Persian War (1722–23) Persian Expedition of 1796 Russo-Persian War (1804–1813) Russian Civil War World War II Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran Battle of Stalingrad Russian military intervention in Syria Russian invasion of Ukraine
Decorations	Order of the Red Banner
Commanders
Current commander	Rear Admiral Aleksandr Peshkov
Notable commanders	Fyodor Apraksin Arseniy Golovko Fyodor Zozulya Vladimir Masorin Igor Osipov Sergey Pinchuk

The Caspian Flotilla (Russian: Каспийская флотилия, romanized: Kaspiyskaya flotiliya) is the flotilla of the Russian Navy in the Caspian Sea.

Established in November 1722 by the order of Tsar Peter the Great as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Caspian Flotilla is the oldest flotilla in the Russian Navy not operating in a body of water connected to the open ocean.^{[citation needed]} In 1918, the fleet was inherited by the Russian SFSR then the Soviet Union in 1922, where it formed part of the Soviet Navy and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner in 1945. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Caspian Flotilla and most of its vessels were inherited by the Russian Federation.

The Caspian Flotilla's headquarters are in Astrakhan, but were historically in Baku (now in Azerbaijan) from 1867 until 1991, with additional facilities in Makhachkala (HQ being moved there)^[1] and Kaspiysk.^[2] The current commander is Rear Admiral Aleksandr Peshkov.