One of the largest convoys of Russian ships recorded since the beginning of Russia’s large-scale invasion in Ukraine recently crossed the English Channel, and available information suggests that it may be transporting military equipment, possibly intended for the war in Ukraine.
The convoy, detected by Western intelligence sources, could represent a significant transfer of military equipment from Syria to Ukraine, following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and Russia’s strategic shift of resources from the Middle East to Eastern Europe.
An Impressive Convoy Crossed the English Channel
Western intelligence sources, including OSINT observers from the UK, believe that this convoy, the largest so far since the beginning of the invasion in Ukraine, could represent the final evacuation of Russian military equipment from Syria, where Russia has deployed significant resources in support of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
The convoy was detected by the British Navy and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, who identified the Russian vessels in transit between the UK and Eurasia.
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Reports indicate that the Belgian Navy's patrol vessel Castor identified the Russian destroyer Severomorsk in the North Sea on the night of March 15-16, as reported by Defense Express.
The destroyer exited the English Channel into the Atlantic Ocean on March 16, escorted by the Royal Fleet's Tidesurge vessel.
Later, the Severomorsk destroyer joined a convoy returning from Syria, which included the landing ship Alexander Shabalin and the cargo ship Maia-1, a 138-meter vessel sanctioned for transporting artillery shells from North Korea.
A Sanctioned Ship Would Have Accessed Several International Ports
The source quotes Open Source Centre expressing concerns about the repeated violation of sanctions imposed on Russia, referring to the Maia-1 ship that allegedly accessed multiple international ports.
The ship made stops at Chinese ports for loading, was granted permission to visit Vietnam, transited the Suez Canal, refueled in Algeria, and then crossed the English Channel without encountering any interferences.
A Warning Signal for the West
The convoy also included the vessels Sparta IV and Siyanie Severa, with information suggesting that all were transporting military equipment.
This group, which recently sailed through the territorial waters of the UK and France, stands out as one of the largest Russian naval formations observed in the area since the beginning of the large-scale invasion, raising concerns about ongoing arms transfers and evasion tactics of sanctions.
The crossing of the English Channel by such a large Russian convoy is not only an indication of the continued war in Ukraine but also a sign of its intensification.