Russia left without warships in the Mediterranean for the first time in a decade
Russia has no naval presence in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time in more than ten years. According to information from The Telegraph, Russian ships are now being used to protect tankers of the so-called "shadow fleet" that transport sanctioned oil.
Russia created a permanent operational group in the Mediterranean Sea back in 2013. However, now, according to unnamed representatives of NATO countries and the British Ministry of Defense, its fleet is overloaded and forced to reallocate ships to perform other tasks. As one Western official claims, there have been no Russian warships in the Mediterranean Sea since June.
The situation, as the publication notes, was complicated by the increased control of NATO countries over "shadow fleet" vessels. In the last six months, warships from France, Belgium, Germany, Estonia, and Finland have detained at least 13 people on such tankers.
After one such incident, the Russian frigate "Neustrashimy" began to permanently patrol the English Channel. In June, the Russian warship "Admiral Grigorovich" even fired warning shots towards a British-flagged yacht approaching it. Russia stated that the yacht did not respond to demands to change course.
In addition, the Russian fleet faces a shortage of tankers to refuel its warships, which limits their cruising range.
According to The Telegraph's sources, NATO has thus presented Russia with a difficult dilemma: the need to protect the "shadow fleet" has led to a significant gap in Russia's military presence in the Mediterranean Sea.
Meanwhile, Russia's Northern Fleet continues to operate from its bases in Severomorsk and on the Kola Peninsula. The Baltic Fleet, however, is virtually surrounded by NATO countries and is increasingly focusing on coastal defense and escorting vessels.
An additional problem for Moscow was the loss of some capabilities in Syria. After the change of government in the country, Russia risks losing full control over key parts of its two military bases.
As an alternative, Moscow is considering the possibility of establishing a naval base in the Libyan port of Tobruk, which is already used for Russian logistics in the region.
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