Six large Russian Navy amphibious ships have arrived at Syria’s port of Tartus after completing a European passage of 6,000 nautical miles (more than 11,000 kilometers).
The drills, involving ships of the Northern and Baltic fleets ‘Pyotr Morgunov,’ ‘George the Victorious,’ ‘Olenegorsky Miner,’ ‘Korolev,’ ‘Minsk,’ and ‘Kaliningrad,’ were conducted under Admiral Nikolay Yevmenov, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced.
It hasn’t been specified when exactly the sailors landed in Syria, but the mission has been branded as “very successful” despite the stormy conditions, with the personnel praised for showing “the best of their maritime qualities.”
On arrival at Tartus, which has served as the logistics support point for the Russian Navy since Soviet times, the ships began to replenish stocks with necessary supplies before carrying on with their duties, the ministry said.
Large amphibious ships are designed to make landfall on unequipped coastlines, carrying troops and cargo by sea. They are also capable of transporting various types of armored vehicles.