Bloomberg, citing European intelligence sources, reported that a Russian merchant ship subject to US sanctions crossed the Bosphorus Strait towards Russia, carrying military equipment.

European intelligence officials who tracked the ship, Sparta II, said it headed from the Syrian port of Tartus to the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, carrying military vehicles to take part in Russia's war on Ukraine.

The ship was seen in Syria carrying military vehicles, seen crossing the Bosphorus, and later identified in Novorossiysk with at least 11 vehicles that were likely offloaded.

Naval tracking data shows that the ship - owned by a company affiliated with the Russian Ministry of Defense and sanctioned by the United States in May - made the voyage from 17 to 25 July, unhindered by NATO member Turkey.

A Turkish official familiar with the case said that Ankara does not inspect commercial ships unless there is a report or suspicion of wrongdoing.

According to the website, the ship's voyage to the port of Novorossiysk underscores the Kremlin's efforts to draw on the resources needed for the war, which has entered its sixth month, with supply lines straining under the pressure of Europe's largest military campaign since World War II.

While Ukraine has received billions of dollars in weapons from the United States and Europe to help defend itself, Russia must rely on its own resources to support its forces on the front lines, amid Western reports of heavy casualties in its ranks.

According to US estimates, tens of thousands of Russian soldiers were killed or wounded, and thousands of armored vehicles were destroyed during the battles on various Ukrainian fronts.

For his part, a US official, who declined to be named, confirmed that Washington believes that Russia is using commercial ships to transport military goods to the Black Sea.

While Kremlin officials deny any resupply problems, US and European officials assert that the loss of large numbers of tanks and armored personnel carriers is forcing Moscow to draw on its stockpile of old weapons, including its outdated T-62 tanks. contracts.