Pletenchuk: Russia is redeploying ships to the Mediterranean Sea, bypassing Europe

The Russian Federation is sending ships to the Mediterranean Sea, bypassing Europe, probably preparing for calls to ports in Africa or Syria.

This was reported by the spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy, Dmytro Pletenchuk, during a telethon.

According to him, in fact, the Russian ships that the British fleet recorded in the English Channel are a military convoy. Previously, they were used for the so-called Syrian express.

“Russia does not have the shortest routes to get to the Mediterranean. I think that we are talking about a presence in the Mediterranean. That is, Africa,” the spokesman noted.

He added that now the Russian ships are returning to the Mediterranean, where they have many interests, bypassing Europe.

“No one will block them on the way. You can’t go anywhere. The path is quite long. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why there is a tanker in the convoy. On the other hand, for sure, I, for example, do not know for what purpose the tankers enter there,” Pletenchuk said.

In particular, Russian ships may enter Libya, and also, probably, Syria, to the port of Tartus.

Dmytro Pletenchuk also recalled that Russia often resorts to maneuvers near the coasts of NATO countries, in particular in the Baltic Sea, where trade routes, sea communication routes pass by the coasts of NATO countries.

“In fact, they outline their zone of interests, demonstrate the flag, sometimes these are purely practical tasks. To say that there is something new in this is not. But taking into account the statements of the Russian leadership directly regarding the United Kingdom, regarding the possible interception of merchant ships in the waters closer to the so-called Russian Federation, of course, there is such tension and therefore such events are closely monitored by both society and the military,” the spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy shared.

It should be noted that such monitoring takes place on a regular basis, in particular, hybrid threats are taken into account, when civilian vessels are used for reconnaissance and other purposes.

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