Russia reinforces the fleet in Syria

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Russia reinforces the fleet in Syria
Russia reinforces the fleet in Syria

After achievement of an agreement on de-escalation zones in Syria Russia reinforces its naval forces in the region

Russia increased military presence in the mediterranean sea after the strike of the us on the Syrian airfield

At the moment of strike by cruise missile Tomahawk at Shayrat airfield in Syria on April 7 there were no Russian military ships in the Mediterranean Sea that could organize tracking of the American destroyers that delivered the strike and there were also no ships with missile armament there. A person close to the Defense Ministry reported this. There were only two medium landing ships in the Mediterranean Sea at that moment that were occupied with delivery of military cargoes to Syria and two minesweepers of the Black Sea Fleet, the source said.

Along with this, after the strike on April 7 the newest frigate of the Black Sea Fleet Admiral Grigorovich crossed the Bosporus Strait towards the Mediterranean Sea, according to Turkish spotter site turkishnavy.net, and there was no information about its going back still. Frigate Admiral Essen of the same type (the second of the three frigates of project 11356 built for the Black Sea Fleet by Kaliningrad-based Yantar shipyard) went from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea at the en of April. It had to come to the place of service in the Black Sea last year but it was damaged during mooring and was undergoing repair. On May 5, the Defense Ministry reported that Admiral Essen passed Gibraltar and started serving within the formation of the Navy in the Mediterranean Sea.

On April 27, the Defense Ministry reported that big antisubmarine ship Severomorsk of the Northern Fleet being in combat service since the middle of the last autumn encircled Africa and also entered Gibraltar. Finally, on May 5 the Defense Ministry reported that diesel submarine Krasnodar entered Gibraltar and would arrive to the base in the Black Sea in June. This submarine was built for the Black Sea Fleet and also had to be transferred to the customer last year but it stayed in the Baltic Sea after a navigation accident and repair at manufacturer plant Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg. Two frigates of project 11356 and Krasnodar have a possibility of aggregate salvo of 36 cruise missiles Kalibr at ground targets (American destroyers launched 60 missiles on April 8 and 58 of them reached the targets).

In a report about the parade dedicated to the Victory Day at Russian air base Hmeymim in Syria on May 8 television channel Russia Today demonstrated A-50 long-range radar picket airplane an two reconnaissance airplanes IL-20 standing far away.

According to Colonel of the reserve Victor Murakhovsky, additional stationing of ships and A-50 airplane is caused by a need to reinforce reconnaissance capabilities and Russian military presence in general with regard to the agreement signed in Astana on creation of de-escalation zones in Syria that was not liked by many parties. According to a person close to the Defense Ministry, this really became a reason for reinforcement of the naval group along with absence of any serious naval forces during the American missile strike of April 7.

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