The Russian navy has greatly increased its presence in the Mediterranean since the start of the war in Ukraine and has an “aggressive approach”, leading to “the risk of an incident”, the Italian navy chief warned on Thursday.
“Immediate consequences for our security related to the war in Ukraine have been identified at sea and are visible with an impressive increase in the presence of the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea,” confirmed the head of state- Major Italian Navy, Admiral Enrico Credentino, quoted by the AGI and ANSA agencies.
The presence of Russian ships “such a level” was “unnoticed even during the Cold War”, he underlined before the members of the Defense Commission of the Chamber of Deputies.
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“The large number of Russian ships is not a direct threat to the national territory, but it increases the tension and the Russians have an aggressive approach. There is a risk of a possible incident, if it happens we don’t know how it will end,” the official added.
According to the Italian admiral, the Russian fleet “in 2015 (in a Syrian port, author’s note) from a small support ship in Tartus “to fifteen ships and three submarines in the Mediterranean. weeks ago”.
“The Mediterranean Sea is an area of turmoil, with constant competition between riparian states for access to economic resources and illegal activities ranging from smuggling to human trafficking. It must therefore be constantly monitored,” Admiral Credentino concluded.
The Mediterranean is a strategic area for Europe and NATO. 65% of the EU’s energy supply and 30% of world trade pass through it.
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