Russia cannot move its warships from the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea because Turkey has closed its strait to warships. However, Russia was able to move advanced weapon systems, such as S-300 missiles, through these straits.
In this regard, Greece used the Russian S-300 air defense system to hunt Turkish fighter jets, according to media
The closure of the Bosphorus to passing warships prevented Russia from building up its naval forces against Ukraine. But merchant ships can pass, which is used by the attacking country.
The occupants transported the S-300 missile systems by civilian ship
On the night of August 20, the Russian freighter Sparta II crashed into the Bosphorus Strait in Turkey. The strait is the only waterway that connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea.
Sparta II’s destination was Novorossiysk, a Russian port and large naval base near the Kerch Bridge.
The ship was loaded in Syria
The ship is believed to have sailed from Tartous to Syria, where the S-300 was recovered from the dock. He left on August 20 and crossed the Bosphorus on the night of August 24-25. Anchored near the Russian coast, the ship entered Novorossiysk on August 27.
The ship is believed to belong to the Oberonologist, who controls Russia’s Defense Ministry. The ship was specifically added to the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) sanctions list. The fact is that, although it was a civilian crew, it often carried military cargo.
The transfer of a powerful air defense system from Syria to the Black Sea could be of great significance. In particular, this means that Russia is strengthening the defense of the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea and the South. At the same time, it undermines the power of Russia and the Assad regime in Syria.
