Russia sends military and logistics vessels to Tartus / CIA warns of possible drone attacks against NATO

Russia has sent a convoy of military and logistics vessels through the Mediterranean Sea to the Syrian port of Tartus, as the CIA warns European governments that Moscow could launch drone attacks against NATO countries.

The convoy included the anti-submarine destroyer Admiral Levchenko, the General Skobelev tanker, the Akademik Pashin supply ship and the Sparta cargo vessel. After passing through the Strait of Gibraltar on August 27, the vessels disappeared from public AIS tracking systems and continued sailing east. On September 7, the Sparta and Akademik Pashin were spotted in the port of Tartus, while the General Skobelev remained offshore.

According to Reuters, the vessels may have been carrying supplies for Russian facilities in Tartus and Hmeimim, although the exact nature of the cargo has not been independently confirmed. The convoy later left the area, and the Sparta was tracked on September 23 heading west through the Strait of Gibraltar.

The mission comes after a new agreement between Moscow and Damascus on maintaining Russia’s presence in Syria. At the same time, information attributed to the CIA suggests that Gerbera-type drones could be concealed in containers and launched from commercial vessels against Spain, France or Italy. The Russian vessels were monitored by British and NATO forces.