Russia has dispatched a reconnaissance ship to the Mediterranean sea to monitor U.S. military movements in the region. The ship, identified as the SSV-221 Priazovye left its Ukrainian Black Sea port of Sevastopol late Sunday night under cover of darkness on a secret mission to “gather intelligence information in the region”, according to an Itar-Tass news agency report, less than 6 hours old.
The spy ship is one of the most advanced in the Russian Navy. It is loaded with some of the most advanced electronic eavesdropping technology in the world.
The ship will monitor sea and air traffic, radio communications and radar frequencies, as well have the ability to intercept and decrypt secret radio and phone call (COMINT – Communication intelligence and ELINT – Electronic intelligence), using a variety of different radio receivers and passive radar systems.
The Russian ship will also monitor the movement of aircraft, ships, planes, missiles and other vehicles or troop movements.
Such monitoring is considered more efficient, and in many respects better than even that of advanced spy satellites.
With this spy ship in the Mediterranean, Moscow will be able to monitor U.S. missile trajectories and targets.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has refused comment on this story.