Russia sends cruise missile frigate to Mediterranean
(Baonghean.vn) - According to the announcement of the Russian Ministry of Defense, on November 5, the country deployed a new frigate equipped with long-range Kalibr cruise missiles to the Mediterranean, just a few months after Moscow strengthened its naval forces off the coast of Syria.
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| Frigate Admiral Makarov. Photo: AP |
The announcement stated: "The Admiral Makarov frigate of the Black Sea naval fleet has left (the naval port) Sevastopol and is on a pre-planned route through the straits of the Black Sea. This ship is part of the standing naval force of the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean."
The announcement did not say whether the frigate would participate in military operations in Syria.
In the past, Russia has launched Kalibr cruise missiles from frigates and submarines stationed in the Mediterranean against military targets in support of the Syrian army's counter-offensive.
Last May, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russian military ships equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles would be on permanent standby in the Mediterranean to counter what he saw as a terrorist threat in Syria.
This summer, Russia also deployed several warships to the Mediterranean, including the Admiral Grigorovich, Admiral Essen and frigate Pytlivy, along with the landing ship Nikolai Filchenkov and missile corvette Vishny Volochek.
In August, Izvestia reported that Russia had assembled its largest naval group in the Mediterranean since 2015, consisting of 10 vessels, most of them equipped with long-range Kalibr cruise missiles. Two submarines were also deployed.
