Russian Defense Ministry: Naval Task Force May Call at Tartus, Syria

03.08.2012 Russian warships currently deployed in the Mediterranean on the training mission may call at Russian Navy's base in Tartus, Syria, declared Russian defense ministry on Friday having confuted own previous statement. Earlier on Friday, the Russian military blankly denied visit of naval task force at Tartus, writes Izvestiya.

"Considering possible entry in the Black Sea and further prolongation of deployment period, the Russian Navy command will decide to replenish supplies either at sea by means of auxiliary vessels or in Russian technical maintenance base Tartus (Syria)", reported defense ministry in the press release distributed Friday evening, cites RIA Novosti.

Rumors about Russian Navy's Tartus mission were going in the press for several months. However, defense ministry has been stoutly denying that information right up to this day.

Tartus is the second largest port in Syria after Latakia and the host port for the only Russian naval base beyond ex-Soviet territory. It is Russian Navy's technical maintenance base capable to accommodate Russian warships deployed in the Mediterranean. Remained from the Soviet era, the base consists of floating piers PM-61M, floating workshop, depots, barracks, and various logistic assets. There Russian naval servicemen repair ships, supply them with fuel and expendable materials.

Recall that armed conflict between Syrian government and opposition lasts since March 2011. Beginning with peaceful protests, demonstrations against Assad's regime have grown up to civil war. Syrian opposition demands ouster of the president charging him of massive atrocities against peaceful population. Official Damascus says that "gangs of armed terrorists" supported by foreign radical Islamist movements are prowling across the country under the flag of democracy. According to human rights defenders, almost 20,000 Syrians have become victims of the armed standoff. Russia and China three times vetoed UN Security Council's resolutions which implied Assad's dismissal.