Lisbon, Aug. 5, 2024 (Lusa) - Portugal's Navy simultaneously monitored the passage of three Russian ships through Portugal's Exclusive Economic Zone between Friday and Sunday, it announced on Monday.

"The Portuguese Navy, through the Maritime Operations Centre and four ships, monitored and followed three Russian ships sailing in Portugal's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) until yesterday, 4 August," according to the Navy's statement.

According to the navy, two Russian ships, named 'Yaz' and 'General Skobelev', began sailing along the continent's Exclusive Economic Zone, towards the Mediterranean Sea, last Friday, 2 August, "and at the same time, the squadron refueller 'Kola', whose main mission is to enable Russian naval operations to be sustained at sea was sailing in the opposite direction".

For this mission, the Maritime Operations Centre activated four ships of the Portuguese Republic (NRP): the Bartolomeu Dias, the Setúbal, the Oríon and the Cassiopeia.

The Navy emphasises that this monitoring was a "joint effort" with the Air Force, "which deployed the P3-C maritime patrol aircraft".

The branch ends the statement by stressing that through these monitoring and surveillance actions, the Navy "guarantees the defence and security of maritime spaces under national sovereignty, jurisdiction or responsibility, contributing to the protection of Portugal's interests and its critical infrastructures and, at the same time, ensuring compliance with the international commitments made within the framework of the Atlantic Alliance".

ARL/ADB // ADB.

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