Russia is left without submarines in the Mediterranean: the last submarine that could carry Kalibrs was withdrawn
At the beginning of January 2024, the B-261 Novorossiysk diesel-electric submarine left the Mediterranean Sea, where it was based in the Syrian port of Tartus.
Here's What We Know
This submarine, which is capable of carrying up to four Kalibr cruise missiles, is the last representative of the Russian submarine fleet in the region.
The fact of the submarine's passage through Gibraltar was recorded by the Portuguese Navy, and the relevant images were published on 4 January 2025. According to the Naval News portal, this means that Russia no longer has submarines in the Mediterranean - for the first time in a long time.
The B-261 Novorossiysk was the only submarine that was part of the Russian Navy's operational grouping in Tartus in late 2024 and early 2025. The Russian Navy has traditionally maintained a rotational submarine presence in the region.
However, according to analysts, plans to replace the Novorossiysk look doubtful. The diesel-electric submarine B-608 Mozhaysk, which belongs to the Russian Pacific Fleet, left the Baltic Sea on 31 December 2024 but was not seen in the waters of the English Channel. This may indicate difficulties or delays in the submarine's deployment to the Mediterranean.
The waters around the Tartus base on the morning of 5 January 2025. Illustration: MT_Anderson (Twitter/X)
If Russia does not send a new submarine to Tartus, it could signal that it is preparing to gradually withdraw from its naval base in Syria. Russian submarines are known for their technical instability, forcing them to spend more time at bases than on the high seas. The absence of submarines in Tartus may indicate a recognition of the impossibility of maintaining a presence in the region.
After the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia lost the ability to move freely between the Black and Mediterranean Seas due to Turkey's blockade of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles on 27 February 2022. As a result, several ships of the Black Sea Fleet, including the Admiral Grigorovich frigate, the Buyan-M corvette, and two Project 636.6 submarines, are "stuck" in Syria.
Source: Naval News
