Russian forces in the Mediterranean - Wk14/2022

Task Force Composition

As reported by OSINT at the morning of April 09


Weekly Brief

With the aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman still operating in the Ionian Sea, most surface warships of the Mediterranean Task Force continue to be centered around the western part of Crete from where they can trail and shadow the carrier and its escorts. With the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle completing its Clemenceau 2022 exercise and returning to port, I expect the Russian Navy to retire one surface action group to Tartus for much needed rest, resupply and repairs.

It appears that one of the two Kilo class submarines operating in the Mediterranean suffered mechanical breakdowns that required the intervention of the specialized repair vessel PM-82. Only on April 08 did PM-82 start to return back towards Tartus after spending eleven days near Crete.

Daily Events

April 02

Rescue tug Sergei Balk is reported 80 nautical miles north of Haifa at 1200Z. The vessel most likely made contact with an unidentified vessel and is escorting it back towards Tartus [1].

Commercial satellite imagery showed a Kilo class submarine on the surface in a position east of Crete. The submarine was in the vicinity of the repair vessel PM-82 and the Buyan-M class corvette Orekhovo-Zuyevo. It is most likely that the submarine developed mechanical problems that required the intervention of the PM-82 and its on board workshops. Orekhovo-Zuyevo most likely provided cover during the repairs [2].

Logistic support vessel Vice-Admiral Paromov is reported in a position 90 nautical miles west of Haifa at 1000Z [3].

April 03

Rescue tug Sergei Balk has returned at the port of Tartus around 0600Z [3]. The vessel most likely escorted an Iranian tanker. 

Logistic support vessel Vice-Admiral Paromov is reported in the port of Tartus. Her location was reported through her AIS signal [4].

April 04
Rescue tug Sergei Balk and logistic support vessel Vice-Admiral Paromov have left the port of Tartus. Both vessels were reported in a positions 34°59'N 035°05'E. Both vessels were heading west on course 278 with a speed of 5.8 knots. According to the AIS signal, Sergei Balk is eventually heading towards Alexandria [5].

Amur class repair vessel PM-82 continues to operate east of Crete [6]. The vessel has been reported in that area since March 28th and was spotted operating near a Kilo class submarine and Buyan-M class corvette.

April 05
Rescue tug Sergei Balk and logistic support vessel Vice-Admiral Paromov have made a rendez-vous with the fleet oiler Vyazma close to the east coast of Cyprus [7] [8]. The vessels were reported around 30 nautical miles west of Ayia Napa around 0600Z [9].

April 06
According to her AIS signal, the fleet tanker Vyazma departed the area east of Cyprus and headed off in a southern direction [10].

Udaloy class destroyer Vice-Admiral Kulakov was observed on satellite imagery in the Ionian sea at 10:30 UTC. The destroyer was observed sailing behind the carrier USS Harry Truman [11].

A group of Russian warships was observed west of Cyprus on commercial satellite imagery around 0850Z. The group is allegedly composed of Slava class cruiser Varyag, Udaloy class destroyer Admiral Tributs, Gorshkov class frigate Admiral Kasatonov and Grigorovich class frigate Admiral Grigorovich [12].

April 08
Amur class repair vessel PM-82 departed its zone east of Crete and headed east towards Tartus [13].

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