Russian ships to arrive at Syrian port Tartus

Russian landing ships will arrive during the upcoming days at the Syrian port of Tartus, the only Russian naval base in the Middle East, a source in the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces said. According to Russian news agency (ITAR-TASS), a military source said: “It is planned that at the end of this week or at the beginning of next week three big landing ships of the Northern Fleet, Alexander Otrakovsky, Georgy Pobedonosets, Kondopoga, which are carrying the marines, will visit Syria.” Over the limited capacities of the mooring infrastructure in Tartus two warships will enter directly the port and will be moored there, the third warship will be anchored in the harbour,” the source said. The source has not specified whether the marines will remain in Tartus or not, as the mentioned ships are a day’s distance from the port, each with 120 marines on board carrying usual weaponry, in addition to carriers on board.