A Russian warship has been spotted escorting a cargo ship carrying military hardware in the English Channel.
The Baltic Leader, a cargo ship previously sanctioned by the US for transporting weapons for the Russian military, was seen passing through the south of the Channel early on Monday morning.
It was carrying a military hardware shipment from Russia’s naval base in Tartus, Syria, according to The Times.
The cargo shipment was escorted by warship Boikiy, which was reportedly crewed by men in military fatigues wielding machine guns.
The two ships were also followed by HMS Somerset and BNS Crocus, a Belgian naval vessel (bottom vessel)
Reuters
The regular shipments between Syria and Russia have been nicknamed the Syrian Express.
Weapons are transported to the front lines in Ukraine from Middle Eastern bases.
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Russia has reportedly been removing its military hardware from its Syrian bases.
Joseph Byrne, senior analyst at the Open Source Centre, told the Times: “While it isn’t exactly clear what cargo the vessel is loading, Tartus is a port where Russia has been storing its military equipment, likely waiting for transport.
“Since mid-February we have seen a number of Russian flagged cargo vessels sail from Syria into the Mediterranean and through the English Channel.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
“They have exhibited highly similar patterns of life, including switching off their transponders when entering Syrian waters and ports, not broadcasting their final destinations, and appearing to sail through the Channel with a military escort for protection.”
The Baltic Leader was said to have departed from Tartus on February 13, before being escorted through the English Channel by the Boikiy from 5am on March 3.
The two ships were also followed by HMS Somerset and BNS Crocus, a Belgian naval vessel.
Russia has responded to Ukraine’s growing success at sinking Russian vessels in the Black Sea by sending weapons shipments from the Middle East on a longer route which navigates the English Channel, as well as the Strait of Gibraltar and the Great Belt between Sweden and Denmark.
The Baltic Leader was said to have departed from Tartus on February 13, before being escorted through the English Channel by the Boikiy from 5am on March 3
Reuters
Oboronlogistika, a Russian defence logistics company, claimed that three explosions caused a historical weapons-carrying ship to sink in the Mediterranean in December.
“Ukraine could destroy hundreds of tons of vital Russian military material in one go by attacking the ships and that’s a huge risk for Russia to take,” James Droxford, from the maritime intelligence and analysis consultancy Droxford Maritime, said.
He emphasised the importance of the vessels to Russia: “It would be an embarrassment and an expensive problem for Russia if they lost a large shipment of military materiel in the Black Sea.”
