MOSCOW. Aug 3 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Northern Fleet's large amphibious warships from the naval task force on a mission in the Mediterranean, will call at the Russian supplies and logistics base at Tartus in Syria, a source in the Russian General Staff told the press on Friday.
"Three of the Northern Fleet's large amphibious warships, the Alexander Otrakovsky, Georgii Pobedonosets and Kondopoga, with marines aboard, will call at Tartus late this week or early next week. Since the port has limited mooring space, two of the three ships will assume position on both sides of the floating pier, and the third will drop anchor in the port," the source said.
The visit will last several days to replenish the stock of water and food. From Tartus the Russian warships will head to the Black Sea straits of Dardanelles and Bosporus, and sail further to Novorossiisk, he said.
No information was provided on whether the Russian Marines will stay in Tartus or leave the Syrian port.
The Russian naval task force is at a one-day distance from Tartus, he said. Each battleship is carrying an armed Marine company, up to 120 members strong, as well as amphibious armored personnel carriers fit for land operations.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Thursday that the Russian naval task force is comprised of the Northern Fleet's large battleships Alexander Otrakovsky, Georgii Pobedonosets and Kondopoga, and the Baltic Fleet's patrol boats the Yaroslav Mudry and Neustrashimy. It is deployed in the eastern sector of the Mediterranean.
These warships will be joined by another naval task force soon, comprised of the Northern Fleet's submarine chaser, the Vice Admiral Kulakov, the Black Sera Fleet's tanker, the Ivan Bubnov, and the MB-304 tugboat.