Russian Navy ship spotted off German coast

The large amphibious assault ship (VDK) of the Russian Baltic Fleet, the Alexander Shabalin, has anchored near the entrance to the Bay of Lubetzky off the coast of Germany.

The ship appeared near the bay on October 19, writes DW.

It is known that the ship dropped anchor on the route of merchant ships heading to the Fehmarn Belt Strait, one of the main routes between the Baltic and North Seas.

The Russian ship is being monitored by the German patrol boat Bamberg and a Danish patrol ship. The German Navy has also sent the auxiliary ship Werra from the port of Kiel.

The German police reported that the VDK “Alexander Shabalin” is outside German territorial waters, therefore it does not violate German laws or international shipping rules.

In September, the Alexander Shabalin had already anchored near the entrance to the Langeland Strait on its way to the Great Belt Strait. A Russian ship was nearby when unidentified drones were spotted over a Danish military base at the end of the month. However, there is no evidence that it was involved in the incident. As previously reported by USM, Denmark suspects a Russian ship of launching drones that flew over Copenhagen.