The recognized defense media Defense News writes, based on anonymous sources in NATO, that the Russian navy in recent months has turned its gaze northward towards the Baltic Sea and the Arctic, and as a consequence has largely withdrawn from the Mediterranean.
The Russian reprioritization is, according to NATO sources, a combination of the loss of Russia’s strategic naval base in the Syrian port city of Tartus, and increased Western presence in the Baltic Sea and the Arctic regions.
The development gained momentum after NATO in January initiated its Baltic Sentry mission, with the deployment of frigates, maritime patrol aircraft, drones, and national surveillance activities, to increase the protection of critical underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
“It is our assessment that the Russian navy, which already has resource limitations regarding where to place its assets, is experiencing challenges and dilemmas with force generation,” Defense News quotes the anonymous sources as saying.
Last week, a diesel-powered Russian submarine of the Novorossiysk-class was forced to surface near France, allegedly due to a fuel leak.
-mauh
