A new flotilla of Russian ships is entering the Mediterranean

A new flotilla of Russian ships is entering the Mediterranean as of this moment (16:00 CET).

The group consists of two RoRo cargo ships, Sparta II and Baltic Leader, along with a tanker, General Skobelev. These vessels departed from Saint Petersburg just before Christmas and are currently en route to Port Said. However, this is a common tactic employed by Russian ships headed to Syria, as they often alter their declared destination mid-journey, frequently erasing it altogether.

The three vessels were overflown yesterday by a Portuguese Air Force P-3C aircraft during a surveillance mission over Portugal’s Exclusive Economic Zone, with particular attention to vessels from non-NATO countries.

Três navios russos BALTIC foram identificados e acompanhados, esta manhã, pela Força Aérea durante uma missão de patrulhamento destinada a garantir a proteção e integridade do espaço marítimo sob jurisdição nacional.

Saiba mais em: https://t.co/ERdABOMFD0 pic.twitter.com/jhWw3cFvcZ

— Força Aérea Portuguesa (@fap_pt) January 2, 2025

It is likely that these ships are bound for Tartus, which would increase the number of Russian units heading to Syria to six—two military and four “civilian” vessels—presumably as part of the withdrawal of Russian forces from the region.