**Russian Vessel Heads for Baltic Port**
A Russian munitions carrier, the Maia-1, has sailed into the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. It is likely heading for Russia’s port of Ust-Luga in the Baltic Sea.
This would be a first for the Russian-flagged vessel, which is sanctioned by the US and EU. The Financial Times noted that it would enter European waters for the first time.
The Maia-1 has made at least nine voyages to North Korea in recent months. North Korea has provided significant support to Russia’s war against Ukraine, including artillery, shells, ballistic missiles, and thousands of soldiers.
**Cargo Contents Unknown**
MarineTraffic monitoring shows the Maia-1 north of Egypt‘s Mediterranean coast and past the Suez Canal heading west. The contents of its cargo are unclear.
Joe Byrne, a senior analyst at the Open Source Center, told the Financial Times that the trip is meant to test Western resolve in enforcing sanctions.
**Ust-Luga: A Key Hub**
The Maia-1’s declared destination is Ust-Luga, a port in Russia’s Leningrad Oblast near the border with NATO member Estonia. The city’s port has served as a key hub for Russia’s “shadow fleet” tankers used to avoid sanctions.
Russia has also been building a new liquified natural gas (LNG) terminal at the Baltic port, but Western sanctions have hampered the process.
**Recent Incidents**
A Ukrainian drone strike against the Ust-Luga port was reported in January, and an oil tanker exploded there under unclear circumstances in February.