According to the Portuguese Military History Commission, these movements stem from the current context of the war in Ukraine and do not currently give much cause for alarm or concern.
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00:00The Portuguese Navy says it has been recording an increasingly intense traffic of Russian ships off its coasts
00:07It says about three warships, two refueling vessels, three scientific research vessels and one spy vessel have passed through
00:15Portuguese waters in recent times.
00:30Even Russia's own exercises imply that there are movements, and here we are 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.
00:44According to the Portuguese Military History Commission, these moves stem from the current context of the war in Ukraine and are not only a demonstration of Russia's power.
00:55The Commission warns the presence of spy ships indicates the obtaining of communications.
01:00Authorities say they are ensuring that the Navy follows the flow of Russian ships with close vigilance, giving Portugal's geopolitical position as a gateway to Europe.
01:12There is vigilance, as Mr. Almirante said in several interviews, we are there, we follow, we watch, we scrutinize, which serves as a deterrent to any type of movement.
01:27And Portugal, obviously, having an extension, having a sea with the dimension it has, either from the exclusive economic zone or from the continental platform, obviously has to be more vigilant, it is part of its missions, either to protect sovereignty and territorial integrity, or in the context of its commitment to international organizations, particularly NATO.
01:50The Navy says it has conducted about 126 monitoring missions in the past three years. In 2022, the year the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine, there were 14 such operations. The following year, this number tripled to 46. This year, 66 missions have been completed so far.