For the First Time Since 2013, Russia has Left Mediterranean Sea Without a Single Ship

For the first time since 2013, Russia has no ships in the Mediterranean Sea.

This was reported by the Russian Forces Spotter community on X.

This is attributed to a shift in the strategic situation, which in recent years has made it significantly more difficult for Moscow to maintain a permanent presence in the region.

The complete absence of warships was recorded on July 1. One of the main factors was Turkey’s decision to close the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits to warships of countries involved in the war.

Following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ankara invoked the provisions of the Montreux Convention, effectively depriving the Black Sea Fleet of the ability to conduct regular rotations of ships between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

Another factor was the situation in Syria: following the change in government in late 2024, Russia lost the conditions it had grown accustomed to for using its logistics base in Tartus.

In addition, part of the Russian Navy’s forces has been redeployed to other areas. Some ships are currently escorting Russian government and special-purpose vessels in northern Europe, particularly near the coast of the United Kingdom.

However, the absence of Russian ships at this stage is temporary, as the Mediterranean Sea is a vital route for Russian ships to reach the open ocean. This is one of the factors that will compel Russia in the future to find a hub for stationing minesweepers, warships, and other surface vessels there.

The most recent information on the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean Sea was recorded in June: satellites detected that the frigate Admiral Kasatonov and the refueling tanker Akademik Pashin docked in Tartus on June 4.

Later, on June 12, Admiral Kasatonov and Akademik Pashin called at the Port of Alexandria to celebrate Russia Day. Then, on June 18, the two ships were spotted south of Sardinia.

On June 22, they arrived for a four-day visit to the Algerian port of Oran, located near the approaches to Gibraltar, before finally leaving the Mediterranean Sea.

Earlier, Militarnyi reported that in February 2025, the Sudanese government stated that there had been no obstacles for ratifying an agreement with the Russian Federation on the establishment of a naval base on the Red Sea coast.