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Russian military convoy enroute to Mediterranean

Russia's military has military equipment for export again. On April 30, a military convoy consisting of three freighters and a frigate was observed for the first time in the Baltic Sea. The "Jiaganghangbeng 01" had the Russian Navy's flag flying from its mast. The Russian frigate "Boikiy" used the Chinese name to camouflage itself and escort the Russian heavy-lift carriers "Baltic Leader," "Patria," and "Siyanie Severa." The freighter convoy is fully loaded. More than 10,000 tons are on board, as the draft suggests. The convoy set off on the evening of April 29 from the Russian naval port of Baltiysk in Kaliningrad, Russia's largest military depot on the Baltic Sea. Its destination is the Mediterranean. The Danish Navy and the GErman Federal Police have been shadowing the convoy since that day. The task force vessel "Bamberg" followed the "Boikiy" from Rügen through the Kadet Trench and the Fehmarn Belt. The NATO will also be closely monitoring the convoy in the coming weeks. The convoy is the largest Russian military transport in the Baltic Sea since January 2022, when six landing ships left the Baltic Sea with equipment for the Ukraine campaign and headed for the Black Sea. The last convoy sent from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean was in December, with the heavy-lift freighters "URSA Major" and "Sparta." The "URSA Major" sank during the voyage after an explosion off the Algerian coast on Dec 23. The destination could be Libya. Russia is currently very active in the Sahel region. From bases in Libya, they can expand their influence in the region. Satellite images have shown construction activities since February at the Libyan military airport Maaten al-Sarra, which has been closed since 2011. The military base is strategically located in the Sahel region. From there, deliveries of military equipment to Sudan, Niger, Chad, and Burkina Faso are easily feasible. The use of these roll-on/roll-off vessels suggests that Russian military vehicles are also being transported. The deployment of so much equipment raises the suspicion that the war in Ukraine is no longer a priority. In 2024, a large portion of the military equipment retrieved from Syria was also sent to Ukraine.

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The "Patria" moored at the quay of the Norder Yard, Hamburg, for repairs of damage suffered in the collision with the "San Bendedetto" in the morning of Oct 26, 2010.

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Photos of damaged vessel: http://nok-schiffsbilder.de/modules/myalbum/viewcat.php?cid=6