From March 11-14, 2024, a Russian trio of war transport ships exhibited abnormal maritime behavior characterized by erratic maneuvers, formation tightening, back-and-forth movements, and speed changes in the Western Mediterranean south of Sardinia. The ships continued westward, passed Gibraltar where they appeared briefly aligned together and were visually inspected by Spanish and Portuguese naval vessels, as well as a UK Royal Navy boat in the Strait of Gibraltar. The ships then spread out over 500 nautical miles during transit towards the Danish Straits, with lead ship Ursa Major expected to arrive in about 2.5 days, presumably headed for the Baltic Sea potentially carrying valuable cargo. Unverified reports indicate escort by the Russian frigate Grigorovich until Gibraltar, suggesting strategic naval protection. The event is notable for maritime vigilance by NATO-aligned navies and possible signaling of Russian naval pressure targeting Baltic regional waters in mid-March 2024.

From March 11-14, 2024, a Russian trio of war transport ships exhibited abnormal maritime behavior characterized by erratic maneuvers, formation tightening, back-and-forth movements, and speed changes in the Western Mediterranean south of Sardinia. The ships continued westward, passed Gibraltar where they appeared briefly aligned together and were visually inspected by Spanish and Portuguese naval vessels, as well as a UK Royal Navy boat in the Strait of Gibraltar. The ships then spread out over 500 nautical miles during transit towards the Danish Straits, with lead ship Ursa Major expected to arrive in about 2.5 days, presumably headed for the Baltic Sea potentially carrying valuable cargo. Unverified reports indicate escort by the Russian frigate Grigorovich until Gibraltar, suggesting strategic naval protection. The event is notable for maritime vigilance by NATO-aligned navies and possible signaling of Russian naval pressure targeting Baltic regional waters in mid-March 2024.