US media: The Russian fleet passes through the English Channel

According to the US "Warzone" website reported on January 19, a group of Russian amphibious warships have begun to enter the English Channel. Some expect that the final destination of these warships will be the Black Sea, where they will join the operations of the Russian army.

Multiple reports confirm that six warships of the Russian Navy have begun to pass through the English Channel before entering the Atlantic Ocean. These ships included the Orenegorsky Gorniak and George Portossert of the Northern Fleet's Type 775 Toad class amphibious warships, and the Northern Fleet's Type 11711 landing ship Peter Morgunov; plus the Baltic Fleet's three other Toad-class amphibious warships Korolev, Minsk and Kaliningrad.

The Netherlands-based "Naval Ships" website reported on the 19th that the Dutch Royal Navy's hydrographic survey ship and its NH90 helicopter tracked 3 Russian warships in the international waters of the North Sea, when they were on their way to the English Channel.

British media reported that as of the evening of the 19th, the 3 "Toad" class amphibious warships of the Baltic Fleet had sailed in the English Channel, followed by the warships of the Northern Fleet.

The northern fleet's warships had already caused alarm during their time in the Baltic Sea, and the fleet began operating in the Baltic Sea on January 12. Considered their movements "extremely abnormal", the Swedish authorities deployed hundreds of soldiers and armored vehicles to Gotland.

As tensions surrounding Russia's massing of troops and equipment along its border with Ukraine continue, many speculate that the movement of the 6 amphibious warships is related to this.

There are fears that if they head south to the Black Sea, they could be used to support Russia's new large-scale military intervention in Ukraine. In this case, they are likely to be involved in amphibious operations against southern Ukraine, especially along the coast of the Sea of Azov.

Source: Reference News Network