Russian forces in the Mediterranean - Wk50/2020

Task Force composition












Remark: The Buyan-M class corvette was previously wrongly identified as the RFS Orekhovo-Zuyevo. However, this vessel was present in the Black Sea during the Russian-Egyptian naval exercise "Bridge of Friendship" at the end of November 2020. She did not return to the Mediterranean following this exercise. Buyan-M class corvette RFS Vyshniy Volovhek however did transit into the Mediterranean on November 24, her transit was reported by twitter user @YorukIsik.

Auxiliary ships












Inbound vessels







General events

December 08:
Project 304 repair vessel PM-82 of the Baltic Fleet completed her passage through the English Channel and entered into the Atlantic Ocean. An anti-terror group of the Naval Infantry is on board to protect the vessel during its deployment. [1] [2]

December 11:
Commercial satellite imagery, posted by Twitter user @OSINT_1, showed several vessels moored in the port of Tartus with the LSTs RFS Saratov and RFS Novocherkassk maneuvering outside the harbor entrance. The ships inside the harbor were identified by @OSINT_1 as the frigate RFS Admiral Essen, corvette RFS Vyshniy Volochyok, MCM vessel RFS Valentin Pikul and the submarine RFS Novorossiysk. Two axillary vessels were also spotted and identified as the rescue tug Prof Nikolay Muru and the tugboat SB-739. [3]

December 12:
Project 304 repair vessel PM-82 of the Baltic Fleet passed the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean. [4] [5]

Twitter user @key2med also reported the transit of the Project 22160 class corvette RFs Vasily Bykov, Type 636.6 improved Kilo class submarine RFS Stariy Oskol and the rescue tug Captain Gurev through the Strait of Gibraltar. All three vessels passed Europa Point during the afternoon and were on a course heading towards the Tofino Bank anchorage at Al Hociema, Morocco. [6] [7] [8]

LSTs RFS Saratov and RFS Novocherkaskk were seen on commercial satellite around 09:10Z at a position west of Cyprus. Both vessels were on a northwestern course back towards the Aegean. [9] Given their location, these vessels most likely were seen leaving Tartus on the commercial sattelite image of December 11.

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