Naval sitrep - visual
12 April 2021
Image 1: sitrep 21 April 2021
The Baltic Fleet based Ropuchas 'Kaliningrad and 'Korolev' are believed to be at Tartus, likely to have replaced another, possibly back in the Black Sea. Not sure about the status of the LST 'Saratov'. Until confirmation, the Ropuchas have not been included into the sitrep as yet.
Image 2 - AIS screenshot -Russian Navy Kola 12 April 2021
Russian Navy Altay class 'Kola' on 12 April 2021, probably with the Baltic Sea Fleet corvette 'Stoiky' and a support tug, Yakov Grebelsky and possibly the repair ship PM-82, all returning back to the Baltic as reported by the Russian MoD. This drew attention to the US Navy, a P-8 flight as reported on Twitter:
US Navy P8 Poseidon AE6883 patrolling South of #Cyprus pic.twitter.com/HyhSw2hmoK
- Manu Gómez (@GDarkconrad) April 12, 2021
Russian Navy in Black Sea
Videos, satellite imagery and photos of the transfer of small boats including Serna class landing craft from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea, via the network of canals and the Volga and Don rivers, are of course on social media. One of the reasons why the US Navy is deploying 2 warships to the Black Sea to be "ready to respond". In all likelihood, these small vessels will deploy predominately in the Sea of Azov, unlike the US Navy.
US Navy
Turkish officials were cited in several news reports about the deployment of 2 US warships to the Black Sea in response to the continued Ukrainian crisis and military activities. Arleigh Burke class destroyers USS Ross and USS Roosevelt have transited into the Mediterranean recently, while the USS Donald Cook has headed home, replaced by the USS Arleigh Burke.
Russian Navy in Red Sea
The Project 18280 medium reconnaissance ship 'Ivan Khurs' made a port call to Port Sudan several days ago. Maybe why the US military took an interest in the Red Sea:
Weird
-USAF E-11A BART11 orbiting over the Red Sea
-USAF E-3B Sentry WSLR51 Orbiting over the Red Sea
-French Air Force A330-243MRTT FAF4072 tracking over the Gulf of Aden pic.twitter.com/yh7nB2O60H
- Manu Gómez (@GDarkconrad) April 11, 2021