Russia launches live-fire exercises off Syrian coast amid expected US strikes

South Front
Thu, 12 Apr 2018 09:51 UTC

© Stringer/REUTERS

Russian navy ships fire off missiles at a parade

Russia has scheduled a missile-firing exercise in the eastern Mediterranean as US President Donald Trump have threatened Syia and Russian forces deployed in the country with "smart" missiles.

The Russian military exercises, including missile-firing, will be held from April 11 to April 26 around Nicosia in the eastern Mediterranean.

A similar warning was earlier issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which had recommended all aircraft to supervise over their flights in the eastern Mediterranean region within the next 72 hours. The warning appeared due to possible airstrikes on Syria involving cruise missiles or air-to-surface missiles.

Comment: Europe's air traffic control: 'Possible air strikes on Syria within 72 hours' - as Trump, Macron and May 'decide' whether to do something really stupid

Meanwhile, the US Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane, known as a "submarine killer", was observed by the flying to south of Cyprus, having likely departed from Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy, and headed eastward toward Syria.

According to the satellite images, eleven Russian battleships have already left the port of Tartus for the exercise.

Comment: Russia's Defense Ministry has not yet commented on the recently-released satellite imagery of what appears to be Russian warships departing from naval facility at Tartus, Syria.

The satellite operator iSi, which had previously released photos of Russia's latest fifth-generation Su-57 jets, stationed at Hmeymim airbase in Syria, has now published two pictures of what the company says to be Russian warships leaving the Port of Tartus in Syria.

The company claims that the vessels are now deployed at sea due to possible future airstrikes. The operator identified the warships to be an Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate, two Kilo-Class submarines, a Ropucha-class landing ship and several others.

The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet commented on this development.

The Russian military exercises off Syria's coast is another signal showing the developing escalation scennario in the region. Some media activists already described the exercises as an answer to President Trump's threats.

Comment: The Arabic service of RT news channel quoted a Russian military diplomatic source as warning that any increased military build-up in the Mediterranean will intensify tensions, adding that Moscow is pursuing and assessing the developments.

He stressed that the Russian A-50 reconnaissance planes have been monitoring the guided-missile destroyer the USS Donald Cook's voyage in the past few days, saying, "The Russian warships are able to give a rapid response if necessary."

The source noted that the Russian navy also has deployed submarines in the Mediterranean equipped with torpedoes and missiles to destroy marine and ground targets.

Meantime, Russia's Humeimim airbase in Syria's Lattakia province is equipped with anti-ship cruise missiles of Kh-35 type.

See also: Russian Su-35 superiority fighter carrying anti-ship missiles spotted over Syria's Tartus