United States naval sources said today that a number of Soviet intelligence-gathering ships were in the Middle East and indicated that they may be systematically monitoring Israeli military communications as well as the radio net of the U.S. 6th Fleet.
At least three Russian spy ships, all equipped with the latest electronic devices, have been discovered in the Mediterranean. The pattern of Russian surveillance covers Israel and Egypt, especially the area of operations at the Suez Canal. It is presumed that interpreters competent in Hebrew language and cryptographers are aboard the intelligence ships.
An attempt to learn if all three are on station in Middle Eastern waters was unsuccessful. Naval sources would say only that Russian surveillance indicated that Israel was “well-covered.”
It was learned meanwhile that in addition to the 64 Russian naval vessels of all types now in the Mediterranean, 10 Soviet naval units have been spotted in the Indian Ocean. Some are in the vicinity of Yemen and the Red Sea. At least one of the ships is equipped for electronic spying. Such surveillance might include southern Israeli communications and sea-air movements to and from Sharmel-Sheikh and the Sinai peninsula.
One or more Soviet submarines may be in the Red Sea – Indian Ocean area, according to sources here.
The United States Navy has made some “balancing dispositions” but no details were available. Defense Department sources said the Soviet helicopter carrier Moskva which entered the Mediterranean this week is equipped to land marine striking units from the 30 or more helicopters the ship carries.
SECRETARY OF STATE SEES NO CORRELATION BETWEEN SOVIET NAVAL AND POLITICAL MOVES
Secretary of State William P. Rogers said today that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is watching the Soviet naval build-up in the Mediterranean. But he said that no correlation has been noted between Russian naval and political moves.
Mr. Rogers told a press conference that Soviet naval power in the Mediterranean has varied since the June, 1967 Arab-Israeli war but recently reached a high point of about 63 Russian warships concentrated in the Mediterranean. He said NATO would take any action necessary “to see that the security of the area is not impaired.”
(Civilian airline pilots arriving today at Lydda Airport from overseas reported seeing large concentrations of United States and Soviet warships in the Eastern Mediterranean. The pilots said they spotted an American flotilla near the island of Rhodes, south of the Turkish mainland, which included an aircraft carrier. They said Russian naval units were seen near Cyprus.)
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
