Navy ‘accompanies’ Russian oil tanker as it passes through territorial waters

The Portuguese Navy spent most of the weekend accompanying yet another Russian ship as it passed through territorial waters. This time it was refuelling tanker the AOL Yelnya. In a statement, the Navy said: “The frigate D. Francisco de Almeida, during a surveillance and control mission of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), accompanied the passage of Russian refuelling ship “AOL Yelnya” from Saturday, December 30, in the south of the Algarve, until early Sunday evening, December 31, at the exit of the EEZ, in the north of Portugal.” According to the statement, “the importance of this mission underlines the Navy’s commitment to the defence of its territory and national interests, as well as those of the Atlantic Alliance”. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the number of Russian ships that have passed through Portuguese territorial waters has increased.