It appeared to be heading north, entering the Strait of Bonifacio and then heading for Gibraltar, after 48 hours spent circling the coast of Ogliastra with its escort of a destroyer and a supply vessel. But upon reaching Siniscola, the Sparta IV, the vessel commanded by the Russian Ministry of Defense, reversed and headed south again.

The presence east of Sardinia of the "death courier" remains a mystery. This cargo ship, offering the Kremlin arms transport services, has been sailing "pendulum-like" since Tuesday evening, for no apparent reason, covering short distances of a few kilometers before turning back, off Capo Monte Santo and Tortolì. Its declared destination was Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania. It was headed there from the eastern Mediterranean when, after passing Sicily, it made a sudden detour north, off Sardinia.

It remained there. And not alone. It was accompanied by the destroyer "Severomorsk" and the Kama, a refueling support vessel. Upon entering the Mediterranean, the "shadow fleet," as it was dubbed this afternoon by the Italian Navy, was escorted by a Kilo-class submarine—also Russian—and NATO's maritime command announced it was monitoring all movements.

The Sparta IV was monitored throughout the day: a Guardia di Finanza reconnaissance aircraft and a Gufstream spy plane appeared overhead. The Navy also deployed a frigate, the Spartaco Schergat, alongside the Russian destroyer.

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