Shadow Fleet Escorts Strain Russia's Stretched Navy, NATO Says

For the first time in years, no Russian warships are in the Mediterranean, the official said. A single Russian-flagged commercial dredge sits in Egypt's Port of Alexandria.

US Lt. Cdr. Tim Pietrack, a spokesperson for NATO's Allied Maritime Command, told BI the escort activities "take up valuable days at sea for the Russian Navy" and place a "strain on their ability to generate naval forces for other missions." He said there is no area around the Euro-Atlantic region where the Russian Navy operates that allies are not closely monitoring.

The escort burden adds to pressure from the Black Sea and Syria. Since 2022, Ukraine has used naval drones and anti-ship missiles to damage or destroy dozens of Russian vessels in the Black Sea, forcing Moscow to relocate much of its fleet. The loss of the Tartus port in Syria after the fall of the Assad government in late 2024 removed a key Mediterranean staging point. Western officials told BI last year that these events had stretched the navy. The situation has worsened, the official said.

Russia has long prioritized its submarine fleet, one of the world's largest with an estimated 64 active boats. Western military officials have called attention to the Russian submarine presence in the Arctic and North Atlantic. NATO has been expanding its footprint in the High North to better track these boats.