UPDATED: Intense Russian Navy activity in the Mediterranean sea

05/03/23

Numerous movements of Russian Navy units in the Mediterranean Sea: the tanker Akademik Pashin and the frigate Admiral Kasatonov are continuing their westward navigation and are currently in the Sicilian Channel. At this point it seems highly likely that the two units, which left the Syrian port of Tartus in the past few days, are heading toward Gibraltar where they will leave the Mediterranean en route to Russia.

The tanker Kama and the frigate Admiral Gorshkov are expected to enter the Mediterranean shortly (via Suez), so in this way the Russian presence in the Mediterranean would not be diminished.

A few days ago another Russian navy tanker, the Kola, entered the Mediterranean via Gibraltar. The ship is now in the Ionian Sea south of Corfu sailing north. From the track it would appear that it has refueled another unit off the coast of Kefalonia, performing a type of mission that has been traced before. It remains to be seen whether the unit with which it is moving (a Steregushchiy-class corvette?) will enter the Adriatic, where the Combat Strike Group of the Bush aircraft carrier is located, or whether it will remain in the northern Ionian Sea.

UPDATE – 06/06/23

The Russian Navy tanker “Kola” is proceeding (10:00 CET) southward in the Ionian Sea, currently sailing off the southwestern Peloponnese. We don’t know whether she is sailing alone or together with another unit

Russian tanker “Akademik Pashin” and frigate “Admiral Kasatonov” appear to be proceeding (17:00 CET) toward Gibraltar on their way back to Russia

UPDATE – 07/03/23

The Russian Navy tanker “Kola” left the Ionian Sea this night and she is now sailing, probably toward Tartus, south of Crete. We don’t know if she is accompanied by another unit.

Most likely, the Russian Navy tanker Akademik Pashin and the frigate Admiral Kasatonov will leave the Mediterranean tomorrow. They are currently (19:00 CET) sailing off Oran, Algeria