Thread by @trbrtc

Six Russian Navy landing ships (3 from the Northern Fleet and another 3 from the Baltic Fleet) are on their way to the Mediterranean for naval exercises, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence. Threading open source findings here:

All ships are Project 775/Ropucha-class landing ships, except for Pyotr Morgunov (that's a Project 11711/Ivan Gren-class landing ship):

*Northern Fleet*
012 Olenegorskiy Gornyak
016 Georgiy Pobedonosets
017 Pyotr Morgunov

*Baltic Fleet*
102 Kaliningrad
127 Minsk
130 Korolev

The Northern Fleet group first entered the Baltic on Jan. 11, as they were photographed transiting through Denmark's Great Belt strait by Kurt Pedersen: facebook.com/groups/1525590…

That same day, Jan. 11, the Swedish Armed Forces escorted the Northern Fleet group as they were moving deeper into the Baltic, presumably going toward Baltiysk, home of Russia's Baltic Fleet.

📸: @Forsvarsmakten

On Jan. 15, the Ivan Gren-class Pyotr Morgunov (017) is leaving Baltiysk again, as documented by an Instagram-user saying, “Oh well, good luck guys.” This post was found by @zenitchick.

That same day, a Ropucha-class landing ship is also seen leaving the Baltiysk port that day, as filmed by a partner of a sailor on the ship — a video found by, again, @zenitchick.

On Jan. 17, the Baltic Fleet group leaves the Baltic Sea toward the Atlantic through Denmark's Great Belt strait. A webcam on top of the “Storebæltsforbindelsen” (a bridge crossing the passage) captures the ships — and was recorded by @oplatsen.

A day later, the Northern Fleet group exits the Baltic as well through the same strait. Again, a local photographer (facebook.com/groups/1525590…) and public webcams next and on top of the bridge capture the passage (

https://twitter.com/The_Lookout_N/status/1483371581749567489

,

https://twitter.com/The_Lookout_N/status/1483371925191774212

).

This Jan. 18 passage through the Great Belt strait of the Northern Fleet group of landing ships was also captured by @sentinel_hub.

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1483213567532883973

I'll stick to sightings that have visuals, but worth mentioning that the Royal Dutch Navy escorted the Baltic Fleet group through Netherlands' Exclusive Economic Zone during the evening of Jan. 18, as detailed by @marineschepen. marineschepen.nl/nieuws/Russisc…

On Jan. 20, the French military tweeted a photo that they were escorting the Russian Navy ships. Again, this is the Baltic Fleet group — the Northern Fleet was reportedly delayed due to bad weather in Scandinavian waters.

https://twitter.com/EtatMajorFR/status/1484212333970956293

Fast forward to today, the Baltic Fleet group was spotted on Sentinel-2 satellite imagery again, this time off the coast of Portugal being escorted by the USS Roosevelt and b a Portuguese Navy vessel.

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1485647412437950469

The Northern Fleet was also spotted on satellite imagery today, specifically off the coast of France. Good sighting by @COUPSURE.

https://twitter.com/COUPSURE/status/1485729201290457089

As we're awaiting new sightings of the six ships, here are some thoughts by Ihor Kabanenko (a retired admiral with the Ukrainian Navy) on the possible intentions and implications of the Russian Navy's “landing ship flotilla.” jamestown.org/program/the-so…

Today (Jan. 25) the Northern Fleet was again captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite, off the coast of Spain/Portugal. The Baltic group may be close to Gibraltar — or has already passed it.

https://twitter.com/aldin_ww/status/1486079765572431881

Michael J. Sanchez, a ship spotter in Gibraltar, suggests that the Baltic Fleet may be passing through the strait right now.

https://twitter.com/key2med/status/1486093497077747713