First time in over 10 years! Russian warships have been absent from the Mediterranean for two consecutive months, putting their ocean deployment capabilities to the test

The Russian Navy has maintained a military presence in the Mediterranean for a long time, but this year there was a rare situation where no ships were deployed for two consecutive months! The US military news website "Breaking Defense" quoted a NATO official as saying that Russian troops completely disappeared in the Mediterranean from early July to early September this year, which was the first time in more than 10 years.

Analysts believe that in addition to the restrictions on the use of Russia's naval base in Syria, the Russian military must also deploy ships to protect the "shadow fleet", coupled with the lack of ocean-going supply capabilities, which will put the deployment of overseas troops facing challenges.

The report pointed out that an unnamed NATO official said that the last time the Russian Navy deployed no ships in the Mediterranean can be traced back to 2016, and other assessments believe that this is the first time since 2013. The Russian army used to rely on the Syrian port of Tartus (Tartus) as an important stronghold in the Mediterranean. However, as the local situation changes, the original operating conditions of the base have been affected.

On the other hand, the Russian military has also transferred limited surface combat ships to other sea areas to protect strategically important merchant ships. NATO officials gave an example. The Russian military continues to deploy frigates in the English Channel, but due to the lack of sufficient supply ships, it is forced to use the "Amur-class" logistics work ships originally responsible for maintenance to transport supplies, and even uses higher-risk ships and relies on transshipment methods, highlighting the lack of ocean logistics support capabilities.

Basil Germond, professor of international security at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom, analyzed that the Russian military is diverting its limited surface ships to protect important merchant ships, but it cannot be concluded that Russia will completely abandon the Mediterranean route. This rare deployment window still reflects the problem that the Russian military faces in resource allocation between its overseas military presence and other strategic tasks.