Naval chief describes latest parade of Russian ships, including spyship
Admiral Gouveia e Melo – Chief of Staff of the Navy (and potential contender for the presidency) says that there is an “increasingly intense traffic” of Russian ships off the coast of Portugal, and that a vessel dedicated to espionage recently passed through Portuguese waters.
Reiterating recent warnings about the pressure of Russian activity in Portuguese waters, Gouveia e Melo was speaking to reporters in Alfeite (the struggling naval shipbuilding yard).
He said: “There is a transit in our waters of ships from the Russian Federation, an increasingly intense transit, from North to South and from South to North”.
In a very short period of time, three warships (two frigates and a corvette), two refueling ships, three scientific research ships and also “a ship that does espionage, usually electronic espionage” have passed through Portuguese territorial waters, he said.
The Navy is monitoring this flow of Russian ships closely: “Our response to this is to follow them, control them, keep them under constant pressure with our constant presence”.
The admiral was at the Lisbon Naval Base for the arrival of the ship D. Francisco de Almeida.
The frigate, with a garrison of 167 soldiers, took part in a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) mission recently.
The issue of Russian ships off Portugal’s coast has been highlighted in wider investigations into alleged ‘spying’ on the West’s communications cabling networks. Portugal is strategically placed when it comes to a number of cable connections with both Europe and the African continent.
Source material: LUSA
