Putin ‘sending ships packed full of weapons just a few miles from Dover’

Vladimir Putin is poised to determination thousands of tons of subject equipment done the English Channel connected its mode to Russia.

A convoy of 2 cargo ships and an lipid tanker, each sailing nether the Russian flag, volition walk the larboard of Dover wrong a fewer miles sometime successful the coming week, raising serious information concerns.

Ammunition and weapons connected committee the 3 vessels are being repatriated to Russia from Syria.

The dictator mislaid his Navy basal successful the Mediterranean coastal metropolis of Tartus aft the illness of the Assad regime, which Russia backed passim the Syrian civilian war.

Since then, Russia has stepped up its subject withdrawal from the country, removing vehicles and containers with a lighting speed.

Sparta I and Sparta II, roll-on roll-off vessels utilized explicitly for transporting wheeled cargo, are portion of the trio heading towards the English Channel.

Two ample landing ships – Ivan Gren and Alexander Otrakovsky were besides seen arsenic portion of the convoy.

Class A lipid tanker General Skobelev, portion of the Kremlin’s alleged ‘ghost fleet,’ is the 3rd vas linked to the operation.

The convoy is presently positioned a fewer miles from the Portuguese superior of Lisbon and is sailing towards Spain.

Routes forecast by MarineTraffic amusement that the vessels volition spell done the English Channel and past the North Sea.

Sparta I and General Skobelev are expected to get astatine Saint Petersburg betwixt February 21 and 23.

Meanwhile, Sparta II volition spell done the Russian naval larboard of Baltiysk, successful the Baltic, and past extremity it travel successful the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.

It was a small much than 2 weeks agone that Russian pro-war Telegram channe; Fighterbomber wrote that astir of the subject instrumentality and spot was being transported by air.

Meanwhile, ships are being utilized lone for items that are excessively ample oregon excessively costly to determination by plane.

The Russian fleet has nary affable larboard connected the mode to Saint Petersburg and is forced to repair immoderate breakdowns astatine oversea and without assistance.

There person already been reports by the Russian Forces Spotter that Sparta has suffered method problems some en way to Tartus and connected its instrumentality journey.

Metro has contacted the UK ministry of defence for a remark connected the information concerns.

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