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Russian Warships Head For Syrian Port

July 10, 2012

Warships from three Russian fleets have left their home ports for exercises in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Interfax news agency has quoted an unnamed source as saying the ships from the Northern, Baltic, and Black Sea fleets will all make calls at the Russian naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus.

The antisubmarine destroyer "Admiral Chabanenko" and three amphibious landing ships left the Barents Sea port of Severomorsk on July 10, while the same day the destroyer "Smetlivy" left the Black Sea Fleet's home port in Sevastopol, Ukraine.

The Baltic Fleet frigate "Yaroslavl Mudry" will also participate in the exercises.

Interfax quoted an unnamed Russian Navy source as saying the deployments were part of the military's readiness program and had no connection with the ongoing crisis in Syria.

Based on reporting by Interfax, AFP, Reuters, and Russian News Agency

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/russian-warships-set-sail-for-syria/24640939.html

Copyright (c) 2012. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.