Russian forces in the Mediterranean - Wk07/2023

Task Force Composition

As reported by OSINT at the morning of Feb-17

Weekly Brief

Throughout the week, the Russian task force was deployed at sea with the fleet oiler Akademik Pashin rejoinin the task force during the second half. The mass deployment was most likely done in response to the presence of the US Navy carrier action group centered on the aircraft carrier USS George H. Bush. The carrier task force operated between Cyprus and Crete, only leaving this area somewhere around Friday. 

At the same time, two Russian tankers are moving through the Aegean Sea with their destination set for Port Said. It is unknown if the tankers are reporting a fake destination and will swing east towards Tartus.

Daily Events

February 12
Satellite imagery of the Syrian port of Tartus only showed a Steregushchy class corvette and the fleet oiler Akademik Pashin present inside the harbor. The other vessels of the task force were not observed [1].

February 14
Only the fleet oiler Akdemik Pashin was observed at the port of Tartus. The other vessels of the task force were absent [2].

February 15
The AIS signals of tankers Sig and Yaz were observed southeast of Lemnos and heading south [3].

February 16
Tankers SIG and Yaz were observed west of the Greek island Patmos. Both vessels are on a southeastern course exiting the Aegean Sea [4].

February 17
The AIS signal of fleet oiler Akademik Pashin was observed north of Cyprus. The vessel was heading west with a speed of ten knots [5].

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