Russia sent on Tuesday a naval flotilla of six warships to the Syrian port of Tartous.
The Interfax news agency quoted a military source as saying that a naval flotilla of six warships led by an anti-submarine destroyer was sent to its naval base at Tartous.
The Admiral Chabanenko and three landing craft have left their home port of Severomorsk in the Arctic Circle on their way to the Mediterranean where they will be joined by the Russian patrol ship Yaroslav Mudry as well as an assistance vessel, the source told the agency.
"The program of the voyage includes a call in the Syrian port of Tartous," the unnamed source said.
The source said the trip was taking place in line with the plans of military readiness of the Russian fleet. According to Interfax, the source insisted that the deployment "was not linked to the escalation of the situation in Syria."
"In Tartous the ships are going to top up on supplies of fuel, water and foodstuffs," the source said, adding that their deployment in the Mediterranean would last until the end of September.
10-07-2012 - 16:26 Last updated 10-07-2012 - 16:26Expelling the Russians from Tartus"... Had the Russian government been more evenhanded about the uprising against the Assad regime that broke out in early 2011, it might have had at least a chance of persuading a successor Syrian government to let it retain access to Tartus. A Syrian National Council official who participated in talks with the Russian government said that the SNC made this offer to Moscow last year. But because the Kremlin has so firmly backed the Assad regime in the latter's efforts to crush its opponents, it is highly likely that the regime coming to power after the downfall of Assad will expel the Russians from Tartus...." | |
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