In early January 2024, the diesel-electric submarine B-261 Novorossiysk, part of the russian navy Black Sea Fleet, left its post in the Mediterranean Sea, where it had been stationed at Tartus, Syria.
The vessel, a Project 636.6 Varshavyanka-class submarine capable of carrying up to four Kalibr land-attack cruise missiles, was photographed passing through the Strait of Gibraltar by Portuguese Navy aviation on January 4, 2025. This means that russia currently has no submarines in the Mediterranean — a noteworthy development, as highlighted by Naval News.
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The B-261 Novorossiysk was the sole submarine in the russian Navy's operational group based at Tartus in late 2024 and early 2025. Historically, russia has tried to maintain a consistent submarine presence in the region, deploying at least one vessel to Tartus on a rotational basis.
Plans for a replacement, presumably the B-608 Mozhaisk, were suggested in late 2024. This submarine, part of the Pacific Fleet and commissioned in late 2023, was spotted leaving the Baltic Sea on December 31, 2024. However, it was not recorded passing through the English Channel.
If no substitute is sent to Tartus, this could signal russia's intent to withdraw from the naval base. Here's why: russian submarines, due to technical shortcomings, always spend more time at bases than at sea. Without a submarine stationed at Tartus, the russians clearly don't expect to stay there for long.
On a note from Defense Express, following the onset of the full-scale war against Ukraine, several russian warships became technically "stuck" near Syria. Turkey's closure of the Bosphorus Strait to military ships in response to the conflict prevented their return to the russian-occupied Crimea.
This "stranded" group included a Project 11356 Admiral Grigorovich–class frigate, a Project 21631 Buyan-M missile corvette, and two Project 636.6 submarines from the Black Sea Fleet of russia's navy.
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