Russian forces in the Mediterranean - Wk20/2021

Task Force Composition

As reported by OSINT at noon of May 22

Weekly Brief

Naval activity was observed in the eastern Mediterranean with the Grigorovich class frigate RFS Admiral Makarov shadowing the French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle and with Olemka class tanker RFS Iman operating between Crete and Syria.
Several transfers took place with minehunter RFS Ivan Antonov leaving the Mediterranean and patrol vessel RFS Vasily Bykov reinforcing the task force.
Ropucha class landing vessel RFS Alexander Otrakovsky is on a supply run towards Tartus. The vessel belongs to the Northern Fleet but was dispatched to the Black Sea to support Russian military exercises in the Crimea. The LST most likely will head back to the Northern Fleet following her supply run. Currently there are still three Ropucha class LSTs of the Northern and Baltic Fleet present in the Black Sea. These are the vessels RFS Kaliningrad, RFS Korolev and RFS Kondopoga who entered the Black Sea on April 17 in week 15.

Daily Events

May 18
Ropucha class landing ships RFS Alexander Otrakovsky transited the Bosporus and headed into the Mediterranean. The vessel was heavily loaded and presumed to be en route towards Tartus [1] [2].

The frigate RFS Admiral Makarov was spotted on satellite imagery south of Cyprus and appears to be shadowing the French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle [3].

Olemka class tanker RFS Iman was last reported south of Crete on a western course but reversed course back east and headed back towards the Levant Region [4].

A Russian warship south of Crete with the call sign RMGB transmitted a weather report towards the naval headquarter in Sevastopol. The message was sent during the morning hours around 06:03Z on 8345 kHz and was made up of the location, cloud cover, temperature and air pressure. The message also contained several numbers as part of an encoded message [5]. Though unconfirmed, the message might have been sent by the Olemka class oiler RFS Iman which was reported south of Crete.

Russian warship with call sign RMGB transited a second weather report around 1800Z in a position southeast of Crete [6]. The fact that the vessel was first south of Crete but is heading towards the Levant is a clear indication that RMGB is the tanker RFS Iman.
A second vessel south of Port Sudan in the Red Sea also gave a weather report around this time. This vessel, with call sign RBIZ, is possible the Amur class repair vessel PM-182 [7].

May 19
Olemka class tanker RFS Iman transmitted a weather report form the location southwest of Cyprus at the position 34°12' N 31°06' E. The vessel is reportedly heading east with a speed between 6 to 10 kts. The transmission took place at 1204Z [8].

Patrol vessel RFS Vasily Bykov transited the Bosporus and headed towards the Mediterranean [9] [10].

May 20
Olemka class tanker RFS Iman transmitted a weather report towards the naval headquarter in Sevastopol during the morning. The transmission took place at 0602Z on 8345 kHz. The vessel was located in position 34 24'N 34 30'E [11]. The vessel is heading steadily for the Syrian port of Tartus.

A weather report was transmitted south of Cyprus on 8345 kHZ on 1800Z. The vessel was reported as the rescue tug Sergei Balk, call sign RMKW. The transmission happened at position 34 24'N 32 24'E. The rescue tug was reportedly heading in a northwestern direction [12].

May 22
Aleksandrit class minehunter RFS Ivan Antanov passed through the Bosporus on a northern course and headed towards the Black Sea. The transit took place around 0430Z [13] [14].

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