Russia plans to keep Syrian base – Navy Chief

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Published time: June 25, 2012 13:22
Edited time: June 26, 2012 09:58

Russia is not planning to abandon its Mediterranean naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus, the commander in chief of the Russian Navy has announced.

“We need this base, it is functioning and it will keep on functioning further,” the RIA Novosti news agency quoted Vice Admiral Viktor Chirkov as saying. The admiral added that Russia needed the base to supply its navy ships on combat duty in the Mediterranean Sea, the Bay of Aden and in the Indian Ocean.

Russia has had the supply base in the Syrian port of Tartus since Soviet times. It is not a full-fledged military base, but there are about 50 servicemen permanently stationed at the port and a special vessel for ship repairs.

Earlier this month Russian news agencies were posting conflicting reports on the developments around the Tartus base. Some said that two amphibious ships and a tugboat were headed towards Syria, while others quoted navy officials denying that those events had transpired.

The latest Russian mission in the area involved an Iman tanker with an anti-terrorist team on board sailing through this past May.

Russia also planned a patrol of the Syrian coast by the Moscow missile-carrying cruiser in May, but those plans were ultimately canceled.

A Russian cargo vessel allegedly carrying weapons and military supplies pulled into Tartus on May 26. Russia refuted claims the ship had brought in weapons that could be used against the Syrian opposition, saying that it was only providing President Assad with defensive armaments.

Comments (52)

Billy1 27.06.2012 17:51

@ To Billy1 unregistered, I must just say to you, that I am fully aware of the fact that Russia must have focus on what's going on in Syria! But I do not think that the US should be the only actor on the global scene that can have more than one mission in their head at the same time! And I must say that my main point here are in fact that I find it morally wrong and also an insult to the victims and their the children of the generation that experienced one of the most cruel and inhumane war"crimes" that the world have ever seen, now have been the victims of the typical US itemidation and paranoia technics that functions so obviously well almost everywhere. So if thinks this is dramatic, well I could not agree more, because it is exactly what it is! And you obviously knows something about how the Russians responds to this and similar things that takes place around the globe, that I don't, so thank you for trying to calm me! But i'm sorry to say you didn't succeed to much! But I sure hope you are right! But there is a fact,that serious and tragic situations like the US/Western/Arab(some ) trained and paid terrorists in Syria, have the dangerous side effect: It steels all the focus from other potencial dangers!

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Richard (unregistered) 26.06.2012 14:25

wesley (unregistered) wrote in #9
duncan lucas (unregistered) wrote in #4
How is Russia going to keep its base if the Rebels-sorry ""freedom fighters"" tell Russia to "get lost""???=or if the US takes over will it still be ""our American friends"" when they tell Russia to move out??? Unless some ""deal"" has ALREADY been decided.And if Russia allows the "takeover"" of Syria and Iran by the US and Israel.Dont expect me to continue defending you. The U.S. can just charge them a rental fee.

neit her russia nor US will be welcome in Syria after Assad is gone. If you understood the reasons for revolution and the people fighting then you would understand that it is about self-respect of the arab. The people demand to be treated with respect. They demand freedom and justice as a undeniable right. "Arab spring" is nice and catchy name. "Arab awakening" is more accurate.

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Humanist (unregistered) 26.06.2012 10:59

Russia will have no choice if Assad is toppled by the rebels. Russia will have been stained by having stood by and done nothing to help the Syrian people. No doubt Turkey will try and fill the void.

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