Russian Task Force Replenishes Supplies at Sea, Not in Syria

08.08.2012 Russian warships deployed in the Mediterranean Sea will not call at Syrian port Tartus to replenish supplies, writes RBC referring to Russian Defense Ministry's press service.

At present, the Russian Navy's interfleet force has started replenishing supplies by means of auxiliary vessels. These functions are performed by Black Sea Fleet (BSF) oiler Ivan Bubnov and salvage tug MB-304. When the replenishment is over, the task force will continue deployment program. It is planned that the ships will enter the Black Sea in order to call at Novorossiysk Naval Base.

As was earlier reported, due to increased number of ships in the task force, their replenishment would be carried out at Russian Navy's technical maintenance base in Syrian port Tartus. Russian defense ministry then declared that the task force command was absolutely authorized to do that, since replenishment is just what the Tartus base is used for. Alongside with that, the military said that "the task force has supply vessels providing replenishment at sea and making deployment quite autonomous".

Recall that Russian Navy's interfleet task force is currently deployed in the Mediterranean Sea and includes Northern Fleet (NF) destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov and landing ships Alexander Otrakovsky, Georgy Pobedonosets, Kondopoga, and Baltic Fleet (BF) frigates Yaroslav Mudry and Neustrashimy.

Even before the deployment some media agencies reported referring to sources in Russia's General Staff that several ships would allegedly call at Syrian port Tartus. Defense ministry has officially rebuted this information many times.