A 7,500-ton Russian destroyer arrives off Morocco

The anti-submarine destroyer Admiral Levchenko is sailing south at the head of the group, which departed from the port of Baltiisk, on the Baltic Sea, in mid-August. It is accompanied by the Sparta cargo ship, the General Skobelev tanker and the Akademik Pashin supply ship.

The four vessels were located off Spain on August 24 and were expected to reach the Strait of Gibraltar on Thursday, Europa Sur reports, citing maritime tracking data and an account specializing in the movements of Russian forces. However, their actual passage had not yet been officially confirmed.

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The Admiral Levchenko belongs to the Udaloy class. Built in the 1980s, it displaces approximately 7,500 tonnes and is among the largest vessels in Russia’s Northern Fleet. Its main mission is to detect and combat submarines.

Its arrival is expected to end an absence of nearly two months of large Russian warships in the Mediterranean. The frigate Admiral Kasatonov and the Akademik Pashin left the region on June 30, leaving Moscow without a permanent naval presence of this importance for the first time in around ten years.

Two sanctioned ships under escort

The convoy is also attracting attention because of the status of two vessels accompanying the destroyer. The Sparta cargo ship is subject to sanctions from the European Union and the United States because of its links to Oboronlogistika, a company providing transport services to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The ship has previously been used to transport equipment and personnel between Russia and Syria. The General Skobelev tanker is sanctioned by the European Union and the United Kingdom for its alleged role in transporting oil and petroleum products to third countries and Russian facilities in Syria.

The Akademik Pashin provides logistical support to the group. It can supply fuel, water and provisions at sea, allowing the destroyer to remain away from its bases for long periods.

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The flotilla’s declared destination is Port Said, Egypt, but its final route remains uncertain. During a previous deployment, Russian ships had listed the same port before continuing on to Tartus, Syria. There is still no indication that the group will follow the same route this time.

This new passage comes a few days after that of the Russian cargo ship Ascalon, sanctioned by Washington, which crossed the strait after a stopover in Algeria. In January, a tanker considered to belong to Russia’s shadow fleet had also been detained off Tangier.