Russian forces in the Mediterranean - Wk24/2021

Task Force Composition

As reported by OSINT at noon of June 19


Weekly Brief

No naval activity was reported through OSINT until the end of the week with the transit of the Black Sea Fleet flagships RFS Moskva through the Bosporus. Escorted by the frigate RFS Admiral Essen, both vessels are to join the Russian task force at Tartus.
The arrival of the Slava class cruiser is a significant increase of Russian naval combat power in the Eastern Mediterranean. The cruiser will most likely perform several naval combat exercises and port visits as part of the summer training program and her deployment might be similar as that of the Slava class cruiser RFS Marshal Ustinov in 2019.

Daily Events

June 17
Amur class repair vessel PM-138 passed through the Suez Canal and entered the Mediterranean. The transit reportedly took place during the afternoon [1].

June 18
Slava class missile cruiser RFS Moskva, flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, passed through the Bosporus and headed towards the Mediterranean. The cruiser was escorted by the Grigorovich class frigate RFS Admiral Essen [2] [3]. Both vessels are reported as heading towards the Russian naval base at Tartus, Syria [4].

Amur class repair vessel PM-138 is expected to arrive at Tartus, Syria, around 20:00Z [5].

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