Two destroyers and three amphibious landing vessels carrying marines set sail
from
Russian
bases in the Arctic and the Black Sea, according to Russian military sources. Russia's defence ministry insisted that the mission was part of a previously
scheduled exercise in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea and at least
one of the vessels in the flotilla has patrolled waters off
Syria
earlier this year. But Western diplomats say the purpose of the mission is to show tangible
support for Mr Assad, to warn the West against military intervention in
Syria and to prepare for the possible evacuation of Russian nationals from
the country. Russia renewed naval patrols in the Mediterranean in 2007 – after a 15-year
hiatus – with a wider aim of expressing the country's military resurgence. It was unclear whether the ships were carrying weapons supplies or large
numbers of marines.
Despite the demonstration of military strength, speculation has been mounting
that Russia is subtly realigning its once unquestioned support for Mr Assad,
although its public position is unlikely to change. This week, Moscow announced that it would halt the delivery of new weapons to
the Syrian armed forces, while some of Mr Assad's leading opponents have
been invited to the Kremlin for talks.
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