The situation is again complicated in the Adriatic Sea.
We do not have a 100% clear overview, but it would appear that at least two units of the Russian Navy have entered the southern Adriatic to follow the CSG of the USS H.W. Bush.
From a satellite photo taken on 20 December, the Combat Strike Group Bush, composed by the aircraft carrier, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), the destroyer ITS Andrea Doria (D 553) and -maybe- a Bergamini class frigate (ITS Carabiniere?), would appear to be shadowed at a relatively short distance of about 4.5 km by a ship which could be a Russian Navy ship (frigate Admiral Flota Kasatonov or Steregushchiy Class Corvette?).
While the identification of this vessel cannot be 100% certain there is certainly another Russian ship in the Adriatic Sea, it is the tanker Akademik Pashin (IMO: 9778193, MMSI: 273399750) which we have traced in the past as supplying Russian units in the Ionian Sea. Today the ship is sailing between Apulia and Albania.
Underlining how complicated the situation is is this morning’s mission of a UNavy Sikorsky MH-60R that patrolled the entire southern Adriatic.
In the same area (but with the ADS-B transponder switched-off) this morning operated also an Italian Air Force ATR P-72A (reg. MM62279).
UPDATE: 22 DECEMBER – 11:00 CET
The Russian tanker “Akademik Pashin” has been stationary in the Otranto Channel for about 2 hours
UPDATE: 22 DECEMBER – 19:00 CET
The “Akademik Pashin” is leaving the Adriatic Sea for the Ionian Sea.
The ship was stationary for about three hours this morning in the middle of the Otranto channel from 09.08 to 13.36 CET
