Foreign Warship On Bosphorus 2015 (Part 51)

Korolev making another southbound deployment.

Russian large landing ship Saratov returning from Syria with 9 to 10 trucks on deck. Note the high waterline suggesting there is neither few cargo inside the ship or none at all.

A close up view of the Kamaz trucks on deck on Saratov.

Saratov passing through Istanbul. Photo: Serhat Güvenç. used with permission.

Tsezar Kunikov making a southbound passage through Istanbul without any MANPADs carrying sailors on deck. Photo: Victor M.S. Barreira. Used with permission.

Russian auxiliary cargo ship Yauza heading to Mediterranean.

USS Ross leaving the Black Sea during a heavy down pour.

Yamal making a northbound passage during night. Photo: Yörük Işık. Used with permission.

Since the last update the only non-Russian warship to pass through Turkish Straits was USS Ross. She left Black Sea and returned to Mediterranean on 17 December 2015. USS Ross spend 14 days in the Black Sea participating in various exercises with allied navies.

The passages of Russian warships were uneventful, there were no sailors standing on deck with missiles.

The passage of Saratov was noteworthy as it was the first time we have seen any cargo on a northbound ship. The cargo on deck seems to be 9 or 10 trucks. They seem to be Kamaz-4310. The high waterline of the ship suggested that,  there was neither few cargo inside  or none at all.

I have archived the list of the Russian warship movements in 2013 and the list of foreign warship movements in 2014.