Shadow fleet escorts are straining Russia’s warships and worsening already 'serious' problems, NATO official says
Russian warships are increasingly being tasked with escorting 'shadow fleet' oil tankers to circumvent sanctions, straining the navy's maintenance and readiness. NATO officials report that these missions are stretching the surface fleet thin and creating dangerous operational conditions.
Why it matters
The degradation of Russian naval capabilities due to secondary missions suggests a weakening of their conventional military posture amid ongoing sanctions.
Russian escort missions of shadow fleet tankers are worsening Moscow's naval struggles. UK Ministry of Defense photo via Getty Images Russia's navy faces a host of issues, including sustainment, maintenance, and readiness struggles. Its strained warships are now escorting sanctioned shadow fleet tankers around Europe. These missions are stressing the Russian surface fleet and worsening its force-generation problems. Russia's warships are being tasked with escorting merchant tankers around Europe, further straining its surface fleet and worsening an already "serious" force-generation problem, a NATO military official told Business Insider. The Russian Navy is facing a mix of different challenges, including sustainment, maintenance, and overall fleet readiness issues. Ukraine has targeted a number of its warships in the Black Sea , and Moscow no longer enjoys what was once a significant military presence at a strategic port in Syria .
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