Nuclear submarine sightings escalate tensions in Mediterranean
An American nuclear-powered submarine, probably the USS Indiana, was present in the Mediterranean Sea in areas where the Russian fleet, consisting of two military equipment-laden container ships, Sparta and Sparta II, and their escort ships, was sighted.
On 3 February, the Italian portal Itamilradar published a video showing a surfaced American submarine heading south from the vicinity of northern Sicily. At the same time, the Russian convoy was located off the southern shores of the island, being tracked by an Italian ATR P-72A aircraft and an American Boeing P-8 Poseidon, which specialises in detecting submarines and surface ships.
Data from the MarineTraffic portal revealed that the Russian cargo ships Sparta and Sparta II entered the Strait of Gibraltar on Saturday night. They were accompanied by the tanker General Skobielew. Russian warships, including the frigates Admiral Grigorovich and Admiral Golovko, as well as the landing ships Ivan Gren and Alexander Otrakovsky, were travelling with their AIS identification systems turned off.
Evacuation from Syria
Russian ships began the evacuation of weapons from the Syrian port of Tartus on 27 January, as reported by the Resistance Center of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. Hundreds of containers with weaponry, including TOR and Pantsir-S2 air defence systems, were on board the container ships, which were visible in the footage released by the Russian Ministry of Defence in June last year.
The withdrawal of the Russian fleet from the Mediterranean could indicate a change in the Kremlin's strategy amidst uncertain negotiations with the new authorities of Syria. The base in Tartus was a key element of Russian influence in the Middle East. Russia might now be seeking a new base, with potential locations including the Libyan ports of Benghazi, Tobruk, or Al Bayda, controlled by Khalifa Haftar.
However, the situation in Libya is dynamic. The United States has engaged in the process of unifying the country's divided armed forces. General John Brennan of AFRICOM visited Tripoli and Benghazi, where he met with Saddam Haftar, Khalifa's son. The unification of the army could hinder Russia's efforts to take over Libyan bases.
