Russian cargo ships have been spotted loading military vehicles and equipment in the port of Baltiysk, in Russia’s Kaliningrad Region. Some of the vessels had previously been observed delivering supplies to Russia’s Africa Corps.
Satellite images confirming the vessels’ locations were published by the open-source intelligence projects GeoInsider and SONARROW_OSINT.
At least three ships were involved in the operation: Ascalon (IMO 9198226), Lady D (IMO 9349289), and Anastasiia (IMO 9349291). The loading took place Oct. 15-16 at the port of Kaliningrad.
The operation could be tracked only through satellite imagery because the vessels’ crews had switched off transmission of their location data, making them impossible to follow through conventional ship-tracking services. Ascalon and Lady D had last transmitted signals from the vicinity of the Kaliningrad Region.
Satellite images show military equipment including infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), armored personnel carriers (APCs), mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles (MRAPs), and logistics vehicles.
Analysts said there may have been additional cargo ship rotations in October that could not be tracked because of heavy cloud cover. Some convoys may already be underway, but their destinations are unknown.
All three vessels have previously been linked to Russian military shipments outside Russia.
Last month, the Anastasiia was tracked delivering cargo to the Libyan port of Tobruk. Satellite images taken during unloading also showed large quantities of equipment, including Ural military trucks.
The cargo may have been intended for Russia’s Africa Corps, which operates in the region. The formation, which took over many of the overseas roles previously associated with the Wagner mercenary group, is backed by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Ascalon was previously used in the so-called “Syrian Express” that supplied Russia’s military contingent in the country before the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024.
Lady D, for its part, has previously been linked to deliveries of Russian weapons to India.
All three vessels are under U.S. sanctions.
