Russian forces in the Mediterranean - Wk02/2023

Task Force Composition

As reported by OSINT at the morning of Jan-14


Weekly Brief

OSINT reporting about the Russian task force remains limited to satellite imagery of the naval base at Tartus. Most vessels were in or near the port of Tartus with only the Admiral Grigorovich and Vladimir Emelyanov missing.

The arrival of an intelligence collection vessel was anticipated. There was some debate identifying this vessel as a Pacific Fleet Vishnya class AGI was deployed on a long range mission. Identification by the silhouette and shadows identified the AGI at Tartus as the Yury Ivanov which was transiting the Bay of Biscay three weeks ago. Her passage through Gibraltar was not reported.

The frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the escorting tanker Kama were last reported in the Bay of Biscay. Their current destination remains unknown as there is talk about a Russian-Chinese naval exercise coming up near South Africa. Should the Gorshkov enter the Mediterranean, here passage at Gibraltar can be expected after the weekend.

No additional signs of the Yasen class submarine Severodvinsk were reported. The vessel most likely already withdrew from the Mediterranean. If not, then she will most likely withdraw once the Zirkon armed Admiral Gorshkov enters the Mediterranean.

Daily Events

January 10
Satellite imagery outside the port of Tartus showed a Steregushchy class corvette and the Buyan-M class corvette Orekhovo Zuevo moored outside the harbor [1].

Inside the port of Tartus, the Improved Kilo class submarine Krasnodar, Gorshkov class frigate Admiral Kasatonov, and unidentified Steregushchy class corvette and fleet oiler Akademik Pashin were observed. The intelligence collection vessel Yury Ivanov was also observed [2]. The vessel was last reported by OSINT when it is was traversing the Bay of Biscay, three weeks ago.

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