Russian spy ship ablaze near Syria, but how did it get there? – Defense Express

According to Defense Express, NATO forces offered assistance to the Kildin, but its captain refused, merely acknowledging the emergency.

The Kildin is officially part of the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s 519th reconnaissance division, based in occupied Sevastopol. Its appearance near Syria suggests it either sailed through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles or had been stationed in the Mediterranean since before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russian sources indicate that Kildin docked in Algeria in 2022 as part of a long-term naval deployment, meaning it may have been stranded outside Crimea due to wartime restrictions.

Built in Poland in the 1970s, the Kildin belongs to the Soviet-era Project 861M, the same class as the Liman, which sank in 2017 after colliding with a livestock transport vessel. While its surveillance equipment remains undisclosed, the ship has a displacement of 1,560 tons, a crew of 85, and a range of 9,700 miles.

The bigger concern, however, is why NATO still tolerates Russian spy ships operating in the Mediterranean, despite the region being the alliance’s "soft underbelly."

• The International Maritime Organization has accused Russia of negligence after the sinking of oil tankers in the Black Sea.