Defense News

Iranian navy ships sail through Baltic Sea en route to Russia

By Zarrin Ahmed   |   July 22, 2021 at 3:52 PM
A pair of warships from Iran's Navy was spotted in the Baltic Sea Thursday on their way to St. Petersburg, Russia, for a naval parade taking place later this month. Photo courtesy Danish Ministry of Defense/Twitter

July 22 (UPI) -- A pair of warships from the Iran's navy were spotted sailing through the Baltic Sea Thursday on their way to St. Petersburg, Russia, for a naval parade taking place later this month.

Satellite imagery marked the ships before they entered the English Channel, The Drive reported, which includes the sea-base ship Makran and the frigate Sahand, Iran's most modern warship.

They were off the coast of Senegal before crossing the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel, eventually crossing into the Baltic Sea. The Danish military has been following the vessels through the Sea, Denmark's ministry of defense said on Thursday.

Makran passed the Great Belt Bridge around 7 a.m. local time with a Fast Attack Craft on its deck. Sahand entered the Baltic Sea from a different route, according to USNI News.

Iranian officials notified authorities in Copenhagen that the ships would be transiting through Danish waters to Russia, the Guardian reported.

The ships are expected to represent the Iran Navy in a parade celebrating the 325th anniversary of the Russian Navy.

U.S. officials worried that the ships would head toward Venezuela when they entered the Atlantic Ocean before turning toward the English Channel.