Rising Russian naval traffic through Gibraltar sparks NATO vigilance

The newspaper bases its information on sources in the Spanish Ministry of Defence, although the ministry has not disclosed exact numbers "for security reasons." However, it is about "several hundred" ships with weapons or military materials on board, sailing from ports in Kaliningrad and Saint Petersburg to the Russian naval base in western Syria.

The Kremlin has two bases in Syria - naval and air. In 2015, Russia's presence in Syria significantly increased at the request of Bashar al-Assad's regime. The airbase is located near Latakia, and the naval base is in Tartus. In the spring of last year, Assad admitted that he would welcome increased Russian military presence in his country.

Russia is exercising its right of innocent passage, meaning the right of all ships to quickly and continuously pass through territorial seas, provided that it does not harm the peace, order, or security of the coastal state – reminded "El País" on Thursday. Submarines must be surfaced and visible.

As the newspaper notes, after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Black Sea route through the Turkish straits became more difficult, leading to increased traffic along the Atlantic Ocean route, which runs close to Spanish shores. Russian ships are escorted by Spanish and neighbouring countries' units.

Moreover, Russia views itself as a great power and wants to be noticed, which is why passing through waters around NATO countries is to some extent a "show of strength" – comments "El País". The Kremlin is also testing the Alliance's ability to respond to risks and threats – adds the newspaper.

About 70,000 ships pass through the Strait of Gibraltar, located between Europe and Africa, annually – informed Salvamento Marítimo, the service responsible for safety in Spanish waters.