Up and down for hours, off the coast of Ogliastra, east of Sardinia. The Russian ship Sparta IV's route appears to be anomalous, as it appeared to be headed toward Gibraltar from the central Mediterranean. The Moscow-owned cargo ship is part of the flotilla monitored in the Mediterranean by NATO ships around January 10th, while it, along with the Mys Zhelaniya, another Russian ship, was escorted by the Severomorsk, a Russian Navy destroyer.
For this reason, the movements of the Sparta IV, already known as a so-called “ghost ship” for transporting particularly delicate cargo, starting with weapons systems and ammunition, have attracted particular attention.
"The current behavior of the Sparta IV deviates from its declared or presumed course," explains the specialized website Itamilradar. "The pendulum motion it has begun since yesterday evening is not typical of commercial traffic and suggests a deliberate coming and going rather than a navigational necessity."
Weather conditions are ruled out, given the favorable sea conditions.
"The proximity, at least in terms of timing and broader movement patterns, to the Russian Navy destroyer Severomorsk and the tanker Kama," Itamilradar continues, "further fuels speculation. While direct coordination cannot be definitively established based on the available data, the presence of these vessels in the same general operational window strongly suggests a convoy or uncoordinated task grouping."
Sparta IV's sudden change of course last night is described as "a key moment. Sudden deviations often indicate updated orders, tactical considerations, or the need to synchronize movements with other assets. In this case, the decision to head north and then delay, rather than continue west, indicates a deliberate pause rather than a random adjustment."
This morning, a P-72B aircraft (registration MM62311) of the Italian Financial Police, taking off from Pratica di Mare, operated for approximately an hour in the area where the ship is located.