auonssonToday a joker turned up on AIS behind Russian navy tug Umka, in Strait of Malacca.
The Fortuna pipe laying vessel is being towed. Most famous for laying down Nord Stream 2.
She has been behind Umka all along, from Murmansk or Baltics (unsure).
Fortuna is a sanctioned ship with no propulsion of her own.
She is towed by sanctioned tug Umka and close by is Bakhtemir , spy/sabotage/support ship.
Satellite Sentinel 1 caught Umka and Fortuna south of South Africa in May, but besides that moment I have not found any satellite pics of the ships.
Umka and Bakhtemir list their destination as Khmolsk, Russian Far East. A medium port frequented by offshore supply ships and fishing boats.
Given that Russia spent 4 months moving Fortuna here one must assume there is a project involving very heavy submarine work planned in the area, but I know nothing about this part of the world.
