The Russian Navy tug Churov is currently underway (or rather, almost stationary, moving at a speed of less than 5 knots) east of Sardinia, just outside Italian territorial waters.
It is unclear whether the tug is sailing alone or in the company of the submarine Krasnodar, but it has been in this position for at least 12 hours.
Russian Navy Morse code weather from Tug SB-921 Evgeniy Churov, 8345 Kilohertz CW, 1804 UTC
— TJ (@te3ej) April 16, 2025
RIW DE RMEV 16181 99390 10103 41496 82111 10144 40054 57014 72156 88300 22291 20503 16012 BT AR RMEV K
39.0N 10.3E Heading ? at 1-5 Knots https://t.co/XTDD8TgJHO
One possible explanation could be the very rough sea conditions off the Algerian coast, which may have led the tug (and its possible companion) to wait for improved weather before continuing westward.
It is worth noting that a surveillance mission was conducted this morning by an ATR P-72B (registration MM62311) of the Guardia di Finanza (Italian Customs), although it does not appear to be directly related to the presence of the Russian tug.
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