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Russian convoy shadowed by NATO forces

On May 23, 2024, the 'Sparta IV', along with the corvette 'Orekhovo-Zuyevo', the landing ships 'Ivan Gren' and 'Aleksandr Ortakovskiy', the surveillance ship 'Kildin' and the fleet tanker 'Kama' were observed during the transit of the Baltic Sea. The Russian Navy was withdrawing units from the Mediterranean. On May 25 anbd May 26 NATO and Federal Police units were deployed to monitor the transit of the five Russian warships along with the freighter to Russian bases in Northern Europe. The missile corvette was relocated from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean in January 2021 and has to be overhauled after three years in Tartus. The convoy has been shadowed by several NATO ships since the start of May. In the North Sea, the Dutch corvette 'Holland' as well as the British patrol ship "Tyne" and the Belgian patrol boat "Castor". The convoy used the so-called Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of the North Sea states, where an internationally agreed right of free passage applies. The "Kildin", the "Sparta IV" and the "Orekhovo-Zuevo" sailed through the Great Belt and the Fehmarn Belt into the Baltic Sea on May 25. Along German territorial waters, the Federal Police monitored the Russian ships with the "Bayreuth" and "Neustadt". The "Sparta IV" had loaded military supplies from Syria for Baltiysk, the military port of the Kaliningrad Oblast. For the heavy-lift ship, this is already the second trip with military supplies from Syria to Kaliningrad. The two landing ships and the tanker are still in the North Sea. They are expected to continue to their home port on the Kolafjord near Murmansk during the week. It is not known what the ships are loaded with. The reason for the units' long journey is the Russian Navy's lack of shipyard capacity in Syria. There are no docks for its units in the Mediterranean. Photos: https://x.com/kon_marine/status/1793650665740534179

Sparta IV used as supply shiip in Russian war

The Russian army is building a new logistics chain for its own troops in Syria. The “Sparta IV” left Baltiysk on April 18, 2024, with high-quality military equipment on board. The ship was being escorted by the Russian Navy. The Russian army's supply service was launched when support for the regime in Damascus began in 2015. Until 2023, the supply ships with military equipment for Syria mostly sailed from the Black Sea to Tartus. Russia maintains the only naval base in the Mediterranean there. The Russian units stationed in Tartus are now being supplied with from the Baltic Sea. It is currently the safest route as there is no threat of attacks from Ukraine there. The route from the Baltic Sea to Tartus is, however, around 4,500 nautical miles long, which is is significantly longer than from the bases in the Black Sea. From Novorossiysk on the Black Sea to Tartus through the Bosphorus would be just 1,200 nautical miles. The “Sparta IV” has been sailing for the Russian military since 2021, transporting containers, general cargo and also heavy cargo. The Russian military supplies are then transported from Tartus. Two Russian naval ships have just brought military equipment from Tartus to Libya. The “Sparta IV” has already made trips with equipment for the Russian military from its home port of Novorossiysk to Tartus in 2022 and 2023. During this time, the vessel narrowly escaped an attack by Ukrainian drones in the Black Sea. This threat was probably also the reason why the ship is now being escorted by the Russian Navy on the Baltic Sea. On April 19 , the “Sparta IV” passed the Fehmarnbelt and the Great Belt. The frigate “Neustrashimiy” of the Baltic Fleet served as an escort, accompanying the freighter towards the Mediterranean. The federal police shadowed the Russian convoy with the “Neustadt”. Denmark pursued the course through the waters of the Great Belt and the Kattegat with a frigate and two patrol boats. The ship has been blocked from passing through the Kiel Canal since Feb 24, 2022, the start of the Russian war. The sanctions against Russian shipping companies on behalf of the state prohibit the passage through German waters. At the beginning of the war, Russia also had the landing ships “Minsk” and “Kaliningrad” from the Baltic Fleet in use on the route. They also commuted to Tartus from Kaliningrad and Sevastopol. The “Minsk” was severely damaged by Ukrainian cruise missiles at the Sevastopol naval base on Sep 13, 2023, during an overhaul in dock and is no longer operational. The “Kaliningrad” is currently still in operation in the Black Sea. However, she is not allowed to leave the Black Sea because Turkey has banned the passage of the Bosphorus under the rules of the Treaty of Montreaux.

Russian convoy shadowed during transit of German EEZ

The Russian frigate 'Neustrashimy' has escorted a convoy, consisting of the 'URSA Major' and 'Sparta IV' from its own country in the Baltic Sea for the first time through the Fehmarnbelt and the Kadet Trench on March 21, 2024. These ships are said to be carrying large quantities of weapons and equipment from Syria. The deployment of the frigate to escort the two freighters on the Baltic Sea indicates high-quality weapons and equipment. Both freighters were loaded in a Syrian port in February and were supposed to enter the Black Sea through the Turkish straits. However, in view of the threat from Ukrainian drones, the freighters turned around and instead of taking the shorter route through the Bosphorus, chose the almost 9,000 nautical mile route around Europe into the Baltic Sea. The Russian freighters reached a position north of Skagen on MArch 20, where the 'Neustrashimy' was waiting and formed a convoy with the freighters. Weapons and radar systems were active. The Danish Navy sent a patrol boat and a naval home guard boat to escort the convoy through the Great Belt. At 11 a.m. the Belt Bridge near Korsör was passed. There were no violations. After leaving the Great Belt, the Russian convoy was accompanied at the entrance to the Fehmarnbelt in the afternoon by the mine diving boat “Rottweil” of the 3rd Minesweeper Squadron from Kiel and the two patrol ships “Bamberg” and “Neustadt”, with the “Bamberg” sailing ahead of the convoy and the “Neustadt” and “Rottweil” following behind. They passed through the construction site for the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel at a speed of 12 knots. The Russian ships adhered to traffic regulations. The “Sparta IV” and “URSA Major” belong to a shipping company in Novorossiysk. Both ships were visibly well loaded. On the “Sparta IV” there were numerous containers stacked on the deck. They would be an easy target for Ukrainian drones. Russian freighters do not have to provide any information about their cargo or purpose when transiting through Germany's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The Federal Police did not have any reliable information about the cargo of the “Sparta IV” and “URSA Major”. However, the draft of the ships revealed that they were carrying heavy cargo. Both freighters have been on the US and EU sanctions lists since 2022. If they were to suffer an accident in German territorial waters, the federal police would arrest them immediately. Until the evening, the surveillance of the Russian ships went without any particular incidents. The ships were expected to leave the German EEZ around 11 p.m. with the same course. On board the frigate “Neustrashimy” is a helicopter specially equipped to defend against drones. The path of the two ships had been followed for weeks by NATO secret services and naval forces.