Russia forced to resupply Syrian base bypassing Europe — Ukrainian Navy

He shared the information on United News telethon on October 28.

The navy spokesman explained that the recent absence of Russian ships in the Sea of Azov is because the area is within a Ukrainian fire zone.

“As for the Black Sea, usually a submarine would go on a rotation before returning to the previous home base. As for the Mediterranean, they are active there, but even there the activity is reduced,” he said.

According to Pletenchuk, this may indicate a technical problem. The Russians were waiting for a convoy that was supposed to replenish their stocks in the port of Tartus. 

The Navy spokesman added, “Previously, they transported supplies through the Bosporus, but the 'Syrian Express' route has been unavailable to them for some time. The Russians have been unable to send supplies directly from Novorossiysk to their base in Syria for a while. As a result, they’re now forced to bypass all of Europe by sea. Although this is a much longer route, they continue to maintain their presence there.”

Pletenchuk emphasized that the situation at sea remains stable.

• As of the morning of October 28, the Russian army does not have a single ship in the Black Sea. The same situation is observed in the Sea of Azov.