Russian warship traffic through Gibraltar surges amid tensions
4:23 PM EDT, September 28, 2024
According to the Spanish daily El Pais, the number of Russian warships passing through the Strait of Gibraltar has increased by half compared to the same period in 2023.
The newspaper bases its information on the Spanish Ministry of Defense sources, although the ministry has not disclosed exact numbers "for security reasons." However, it refers to "several hundred" ships with weapons or military materials on board, sailing from ports in Kaliningrad and Saint Petersburg to the Russian naval base in western Syria.
The Kremlin has two bases in Syria: a naval base and an airbase. In 2015, Russia's presence in Syria significantly increased at the request of Bashar al-Assad's regime. The airbase is near Latakia, and the naval base is in Tartus. In the spring of last year, Assad admitted that he would welcome increased Russian military presence in his country.
Russia is exercising its right of innocent passage, meaning the right of all ships to quickly and continuously pass through territorial seas, provided that it does not harm the peace, order, or security of the coastal state, "El Pais" reminded on Thursday. Submarines must be surfaced and visible.
As the newspaper notes, after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Black Sea route through the Turkish Straits became more difficult, leading to increased traffic along the Atlantic Ocean route, which runs close to Spanish shores. Russian ships are escorted by Spanish and neighboring countries' units.
"Show of strength"
Moreover, Russia views itself as a great power and wants to be noticed, which is why passing through waters around NATO countries is to some extent a "show of strength," comments "El Pais". The Kremlin is also testing the Alliance's ability to respond to risks and threats, adds the newspaper.
About 70,000 ships pass through the Strait of Gibraltar, located between Europe and Africa, annually, informed Salvamento Maritimo, the service responsible for safety in Spanish waters.
