MOSCOW — The Interfax news agency said Monday that two Russian navy ships are to sail to Syria to protect Russian citizens and its naval base there. This would mark the first time since the uprising in Syria started that Russia is sending extra troops to its base in Syria.
Interfax quoted an unidentified Russian navy official as saying that the Nikolai Filchenkov and Caesar Kunikov amphibious assault vessels will be heading to the Syrian port of Tartus, but didnÂ’t give a precise date.
| No word on the name of the sea-going tugboat that will accompany them... |
The official said the ships will carry an unspecified number of marines to protect Russians in Syria and evacuate Saddam's weapons of mass destruction materials from Tartus if necessary.
Tartus is RussiaÂ’s only naval base outside the former Soviet Union with Russian personnel of an unspecified size. The bulk of Russian military men in Syria are military advisers teaching Syrians how to use Russian weapons.
Russia has shielded SyriaÂ’s regime from international sanctions over its crackdown on protests. It also continued to provide it with arms. |