At the beginning of March, a Russian sea transport consisting of the two cargo ships "Sparta IV" and "Ursa Major" left the Syrian coastal area around Tartus and made its way to Baltiysk and St. Petersburg under varying western guard/escorts. On 20 March, the convoy was picked up by the Russian frigate "Neustrashimiy" (type ship, project 1154, 130 metres, 4,300 tonnes), which had left Baltiysk the previous day, north of Skagen and escorted through the Baltic Sea.
Nothing unusual really - but still quite striking when you put the parts together.
Russian frigate "Neustrashimiy". Photo: Michael Nitz
Great cinema in the Belts
A full-grown frigate as an escort, one of the largest units in the Baltic Fleet, where previously the small Buyan M-class corvettes had also guided much larger military freighters through the Baltic Sea? In addition, the frigate was equipped with a rotating 3D air surveillance radar TOP-Plate, where otherwise only the use of the navigation radars was recognisable when passing through the Danish straits and the Belts. Of course, all countries - including Sweden - were involved in this convoy with observing units. On the German side, the minesweeper "Rottweil" and the "Neustadt" and "Bamberg", both of the Federal Police Sea/Coast Guard, were present. The overflight of a Tornado fighter-bomber was also recorded at Fehmarn.
In the Mediterranean, the attention of NATO countries and media coverage was no less intense. However, the civilian tanker "Yaz" and the frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" (project 11356, 125 metres, 4,000 tonnes) were also part of the convoy at times.
"Ursa Major" accompanied by the minesweeper "Rottweil" and the frigate "Neustrashimiy". Photo: Michael Nitz
You're not stuck in the freight
What made these two heavily laden ships belonging to a shipping company in Novorossiysk so interesting? Perhaps it was the fact that the "Sparta IV", coming from Tartus, was in the waters directly off Istanbul (Turkey) for a day at the end of February before the westward journey began. However, the ship returned directly to Syria without passing the Bosporus. Were weapons components, systems or equipment (Iranian drones, Russian cruise missiles, etc.) loaded in Tartus to be shipped through the Bosporus into the Black Sea towards Crimea, but the decision was made to take the long route around Europe into the Baltic Sea due to the current threat posed by Ukrainian drones? After all, at that time, Ukrainian forces were sinking a veritable warship every fortnight with their drone attacks using old wolf pack tactics. These cargo ships would not have been safe anywhere in the Black Sea if Ukraine had suspected an explosive weapons cargo on board.
Ukrainian centre of gravity in the Black Sea
This has now been confirmed in the last few days: Ukrainian efforts are currently clearly focussed on these suspected weapons and ammunition transports and have targeted three other Ropukha-class landing ships. "Konstantin Olshansky" (captured by Ukraine in 2014, now hit by Neptun-FK), "Yamal" and "Azov" are no longer in operational condition due to attacks with Storm Shadow and/or Scalp cruise missiles, to put it mildly, as they have not yet been officially confirmed! Of the eleven Ropuchas initially assembled from all fleets, only three are now left!
. . . a little ship moves along the horizon
Perhaps the "Neustrashimiy" simply needed a few days of sea training and some fresh air! Regardless of this, however, the two cargo ships have a history of numerous transits from Tartus to Novorossiysk and back that can be traced back to 2023 - and certainly not loaded with food and jelly babies! So if the cargo was both explosive and sensitive, the assumption remains that Russia is not afraid to transport weapons of war on civilian ships to war zones. But then again, it is only a special military operation. The intelligence services will certainly know more - hopefully.
Incidentally, both ships have been on the EU and US sanctions lists since 2022. In the event of an incident within national territorial waters - accident or irregularities - the allied units could have detained them. If there hadn't been a "grey elephant" in the circus ring as a precaution.
Source: Naval Press Service - Michael Nitz, Kieler Nachrichten, Maritime Executive, Welt, Frankfurter Rundschau.
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