Russian forces in the Mediterranean - Wk53/2020

Task Force composition

As reported by OSINT on the morning of January 03

General Events

December 29

A surface task force of Baltic Fleet warships crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean. The task force consists of the Steregushchy class corvette RFS Stoiky, the sea going tanker RFS Kola and the sea tug Yakov Grebelsky. RFS Kola reportedly passed the Strait of Gibraltar around 2130L on December 28 (= 0230Z on December 29). [1]
During her passage between the English Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar, the RFS Stoiky conducted an anti-submarine warfare exercise at an unspecified location in the Atlantic Ocean. the corvette used its Ka-27PL helicopter to locate, track and destroy the simulated hostile submarine. [2]

Ropucha class landing vessel RFS Novocherkassk passed the Dardanelles and headed towards the Sea of Marmara. [3]

Commercial satellite imagery taken southeast of Cyprus showed two Russian vessels heading on a western course. The vessels were identified as the sea tug Prof Nikolay Muru and an improved Kilo class submarine. The submarine was presumed to be the RFS Novorossiysk. [4]

December 30

Ropucha class landing vessel RFS Novocherkassk passed the Bosphorus and entered into the Black Sea. [5]

December 31

The sea tanker RFS Ivan Bubnov will stay in the Mediterranean until at least January 1 as the Russian newspaper Rossiskaya Gazeta reports that the crew will be celebrating the new year while being deployed in the Mediterranean. [6]

January 01

The Baltic Fleet sea going tanker RFS Kola was reported in a position south of Almeria, Spain. The vessel was heading west towards the Strait of Gibraltar. The time of her reported location was around 2300Z. [7]
There were no additional reports that the tanker was sailing together with the corvette RFS Stoiky and sea tug Yakov Grebelsky. RFS Kola entered the Mediterranean together with these vessels on December 29.
It is possible that RFS Kola will be heading back towards the Atlantic Ocean to support the frigate RFS Admiral Kasatonov, though this is yet to be confirmed either officially or through OSINT sources.

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