New Russian Navy operation in the Ionian Sea

We are recording in these hours the presence, west of the Greek island of Zakynthos, of the Russian Navy tanker Akademik Pashin: RFS Akademik Pashin (IMO: 9778193) is a Project 23130 replenishment tanker and she is the first tanker built for the Russian Navy since the end of the Cold War, supplying the ships of the Northern Fleet with the fuel they need to sustain operations.

RFS Akademik Pashin, a tanker of the project 23130. pic.twitter.com/GXQD0JQowq

— Capt(N) (@Capt_Navy) August 31, 2019

The ship is now stationary and in the past few hours it has followed a route that may suggest that it has been refuelling other ships.

We do not know what other units may be in the area, but destroyer Admiral Tributs and frigate Admiral Kasatonov are not in port at Tartus. One or both of these units may have been refuelled by the RFS tanker Akademik Pashin.

Destroyer Admiral Tributs and frigate Admiral Kasatonov were not in port at Tartus during the last observations. It is possible both vessels operate in the Ionian Sea to keep watch on US carrier operations.

— Frederik Van Lokeren (@KaptainLOMA) September 16, 2022

A little further north in the southern Adriatic is the CSG of the USS Bush. Just over a month ago, the Adriatic was the scene of several close encounters between Italian and Russian naval units.

It should also be noted that also in the central Mediterranean, south of Crete, there is the Russian Navy tug ‘Sergey Balk’, which departed from Tartus and headed, it would seem, for Algeria.

(thanks to @TheShipYard2)