Portuguese navy reports increase in Russian ship traffic near its coast

The traffic of Russian ships off Portugal's coast has intensified in recent times, resulting in close monitoring of the situation, the country's navy said.

About three Russian warships, two refuelling vessels, three scientific research vessels, and one spy vessel have passed through Portuguese waters in recent times, according to naval authorities.

Speaking to Euronews, Major General João Vieira Borges, president of the Portuguese Military History Commission, described the movement as normal, saying there was no cause for concern or alarm.

“Accompanying NATO exercises, or the exercises themselves, in the context of countries more or less associated with Russia or Russia's own exercises implies that there will be movements," said Vieira Borges.

"Because we're in the Atlantic, and from the Atlantic, they go to the Baltic, and from the Baltic they can also go to the Arctic or directly from here. So this movement is normal," he added.

According to the commission, these moves are not only a demonstration of Moscow's power but stem from the current context of Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. The commission, however, warned that the presence of spy ships indicates the possibility of a mission to obtain or intercept communications.

Defence authorities in Portugal say they are ensuring that the navy follows the flow of Russian ships with close vigilance, given Portugal's geopolitical position as a gateway to Europe.

“Our response to this is to follow them, control them, and keep them under constant pressure with our constant presence,” Naval Chief of Staff Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo told journalists last week on the sidelines of the arrival of the ship D Francisco de Almeida at the Lisbon Naval Base, following a NATO mission that