Russian forces in the Mediterranean - Wk12/2021

Task force composition

As reported by OSINT on the morning of March 28

Weekly Brief

Naval activity dropped during this week with most vessels being back in the port of Tartus, Syria. Grigorovich class frigate RFS Admiral Grigorovich continues to shadow the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group which has been operation near Crete, Greece.
Stereguschy class corvette RFS Stoiky and her escorting tanker RFS Kola currently remain stuck south of Suez due to the cargo vessel Ever Given being grounded in the Suez Canal. Both vessels remain waiting to pass the canal and so far did not make any moves to move around Africa.
Two Baltic Fleet Ropucha class landings ships have entered the Mediterranean with a possible third one from the Northern Fleet joining them. The Russian Ministry of Defense has yet to make a statement why three Ropucha class vessels are entering the Mediterranean and what their final destination will be. Several online sources speculate that these vessels are bound for Syria.

Daily events

March 21
During the afternoon, satellite imagery of the port of Tartus, Suria, was made available showing several Russian warships inside the port. These vessels were identified by twitter user @OSINT_1 as Buyan-M class corvette RFS Orekhovo-Zuev, Aleksandrit class minesweeper RFS Ivan Antonov, repair vessel PM-82, small fleet tanker RFS Iman, a Kilo class submarine, rescue tugs Nikolay Muru and Yakov Grebelsky; and a Grachonok-class anti-saboteur vessel. North of the port, a second Kilo class submarine was spotted on the surface [1].

March 22
High Sea rescue vessel Sergey Balk arrived at Tartus, Syria, around 1030Z [2].

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the frigate RFS Admiral Kasatonov refueled from the sea tanker RFS Vyazma at an unspecified location in the Mediterranean [3]. During the refueling, the crew of the frigate also held an exercise to defend the vessel against hostile forces using high-speed boats and underwater saboteurs. 

March 23
Gorshkov class frigate RFS Admiral Kasatonov arrived in the Greek port of Piraeus for an port visit [4]. During her stay the vessel will replenish her food supplies and host the visit of high-ranking representatives of Greece and the Russian embassy in honor of the 200-year celebration of the Greek Revolution of 1821 [5]. The port visit will last until Friday March 26. The French frigate Languedoc is also in Piraeus docked in Piraeus [6].

March 25
Ropucha class landing ships RFS Korolev and RFS Kaliningrad of the Baltic Fleet passed the Strait of Gibraltar during the evening [7]. Both vessels were part of a larger group together with the RFS Minsk and Steregushchy class corvette RFS Boiky. The passage of the RFS Boiky and RFS Minsk were not reported.

Bykov class patrol vessel RFS Dmitry Rogachev was spotted on satellite imagery in a position east of Rhodes, Greece [8]. The vessel was escorting two Russian tankers, the Yaz and Sig, who have entered the Mediterranean on Saturday March 21 and are under US sanctions [9]. The Yaz is allegedly heading towards Baniyas, Syria [10].

March 26
Gorshkov class frigate RFS Admiral Kasatonov left the Greek port of Piraeus following a three day port visit [11]. The vessel took part in the celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution.

The AIS signals of fleet tanker RFS Vyazma and rescue tug Nikolay Chiker were reported in a positions 45 nautical miles north of Cape Serrat, Tunisia [12]. Both vessels headed back to the western Mediterranean, possibly to meet up with the Ropucha class LSTs RFS Korolev and RFS Kaliningrad. It is assumed that both Ropucha vessels will wait at the Al Hociema anchorage where the fleet oiler will meet them [13] [14]. 

Grigorovich class frigate RFS Admiral Grigorovich was seen on satellite imagery in a position southwest of Crete, Greece. The frigate is shadowing the US Navy Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group as it operates in the eastern Mediterranean [15]. 

March 28
Fleet oiler RFS Vyazma and rescue tug Nikolay Chiker have turned east in the viciniy of Algiers, Algeria. Both vessels probably met up with Baltic Fleet Ropucha class LSTs RFS Korolev and RFS Kaliningrad [16]. Rescue tug Nikolay Chiker was later detected conducting a replenishment at sea from the RFS Vyazma [17].

A Ropucha class vessel was spotted east of Europa Point at the Strait of Gibraltar. The vessel is shadowed by a Spanish Navy Vigia class OPV. Bad weather prevented identification of the vessel [18] but this is most likely one of the two Ropucha class vessels of the Northern Fleet which were last seen transiting the North Sea.

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