Alwaght- The Russian Navy’s Mediterranean taskforce warships will hold missile-firing drills off the coast of Syria, according to a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) circulated on Friday.
An area in the eastern Mediterranean between the Syrian coast and the island of Cyprus across the port of Tartus will be reserved for drills of the Russian Navy with the launches of missiles. The area will be closed for flights from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Moscow time on July 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and 26, the NOTAM says.
According to Tass news agency, the Russian Navy’s permanent taskforce in the Mediterranean Sea may comprise from 10 to 20 warships and support vessels depending on assigned missions.
Warships with precision weapons are necessarily present in Russia’s Mediterranean Squadron. In particular, the Project 11356 frigate Admiral Essen armed with Kalibr-NK cruise missiles returned to Sevastopol from the Mediterranean Sea on June 30.
As the press office of the Russian Black Sea Fleet reported on June 18, the Project 21631 missile corvettes Grad Sviyazhsk and Veliky Ustyug also armed with Kalibr cruise missiles set off for the Mediterranean Sea from Sevastopol.
Also, the same-class missile corvette Vyshny Volochyok recently accepted for service is due to leave for the Mediterranean Sea.
Russia has been conducting air raids against ISIS and other terrorist groups inside Syria at the Damascus government’s request since September 2015.
On the contrary, the US and its allies back militants fighting to topple the Syrian government. American warplanes have been bombing Syria since September 2014 without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate, which has seriously damaged the country's infrastructure.
