Russia to Keep Warships off Syria Coast
A top Russian defense official announced Friday that his country will keep a permanent naval presence off Syria's coast to match the growing number of Western warships monitoring the 13-month crisis.
"A decision has been taken to keep Russian navy ships permanently stationed near Syria's coast," the RIA Novosti state news agency quoted a senior defense ministry official as saying.
The unnamed source said "the move was taken in response to the growing number of US warships in the region as well as those from European naval powers Britain and France."
Russia at the start of the month dispatched the Smetlivy guided-missile destroyer to the coast of its Soviet-era ally.
The defense source further uncovered that several Russian warships -- including those capable of landing ground forces in Syria -- were now being prepared for Mediterranean Sea missions.
"The next warship sent to the region could be the destroyer escort Pytlivy or one of the big amphibious assault ships," he clarified.
Earlier reports said the "Smetlivy" ship Russia now has off Syria's coast had planned to dock at the Tartus naval base that Moscow leases from Damascus.
A Saint Vincent-flagged cargo ship operated by a Russian company docked in Tartus in January.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org
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