Russian forces in the Mediterranean - Wk42/2022

Task Force Composition
As reported by OSINT at the morning of Oct-22


Weekly Brief
The arrival of the two Baltic Fleet Steregushchy class corvettes Stoiky and the Soobrazitelny in the Mediterranean make for a temporary strengthening of the task force. It is however now very likely that the detachment of the Pacific Fleet will leave the Mediterranean in the coming period if the statements made the Commander in Chief for the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolay Evmenov, on October 19th are true.
Roll-on, Roll-off cargo vessel "Sparta-II" was observed heading out of the Mediterranean this week [a]. The vessel is suspected of heading towards Baltiysk, Kaliningrad, to pick up additional weapon systems and deliver them to the Russian forces in Ukraine. Earlier, Sparta-II transported Russian S-300 air defense systems from Syria back towards Russia.

Daily Events

October 15
Satellite imagery of the Syrian port of Tartus showed several Russian warships moored inside the port. These vessels were identified as the Gorshkov class frigate Admiral Kasatonov, the Aleksandrit class minehunter Vladimir Emelyanov, the Improved Kilo class submarine Krasnodar, the fleet oiler Boris Butoma and the Amur class repair vessel PM-82 [1].

October 16
Two Steregushchy class corvettes of the Baltic Fleet were reported transiting through the Strait of Gibraltar and entering the Mediterranean. The corvettes were identified by their AIS signal as the Stoiky and the Soobrazitelny [2].

October 17
Fleet oiler Akademik Pashin departed the port of Tartus, Syria, and was allegedly heading towards the Central Mediterranean [3].
Later during the day, the tanker was reported 31 nautical miles south of Limasol, Cyprus. The vessel might serve to refuel the Baltic Fleet corvettes Stoiky and Soobrazitelny [4] who entered the Mediterranean the previous day via the Strait of Gibraltar.

October 19
The Commander in Chief for the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolay Evmenov, mentioned that the detachment of Pacific Fleet warships in the Mediterranean have completed their task in the Mediterranean and are relieved by the Baltic Fleet corvettes Stoiky and the Soobrazitelny [5].
The Pacific Fleet detachment in the Mediterranean is composed of Slava class cruiser Varyag, Udaloy class destroyer Admiral Tributs and the fleet oiler Boris Butoma.

October 20
Fleet oiler Akademik Pashin reportedly entered the Ionian Sea [6].

October 21
Steregushchy class corvettes Stoiky and Soobrazitelny departed the port of Algiers following a three day port visit [7]. There is possibility one or both corvettes might escort a Russian vessel from the Mediterranean towards Baltiysk.

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