Today, a surveillance operation in the Mediterranean was conducted by a Boeing P-8A of the United States Navy. The aircraft, which took off from Sigonella in Sicily, carried out an extended reconnaissance mission over the eastern Mediterranean.
The aircraft mainly conducted its mission south of Cyprus, rather than near the Syrian coast as is usually the case. It is possible that Russian Navy units are in the area since the last time a similar route was recorded was when the cruiser Varyag moved from Tartus to Alexandria in Egypt.
It is worth noting that today not only are the Varyag and the frigate Shaposhnikov absent from Tartus, but the frigate Admiral Grigorovich is also not present.