Russian warships to conduct military exercises near Syria
According to the international notification for aviation personnel (NOTAM) and navigational warnings for seafarers, the Russian Navy will conduct exercises near the coast of Syria.
An area along the Syrian coast in the Mediterranean Sea will be closed for firing exercises that will be conducted by the Russian fleet. It will be closed on April 11-12, 17-19 and 25-26 from 10 am to 6 pm Moscow time.
According to Interfax, as part of the permanent operational group of the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea, there are about 15 warships and vessels of the Black Sea Fleet, including the frigates Admiral Grigorovich and Admiral Essen – which are armed with Kalibr cruise missiles – and submarines, which repeatedly struck at terrorists in Syria.
On April 7, a chemical attack was made in the rebel-controlled city of Douma in East Ghouta, which killed at least 70 people. United States President Donald Trump said that there would be a “big price to pay” for the chemical attack, and the U.S. State Department holds Russia responsible.
In connection with this, the U.S. Navy missile destroyer USS Donald Cook, equipped with 60 Tomahawk missiles, left port in Cyprus and sailed to a location near the Syrian city of Tartus.
According to The Wall Street Journal, a second U.S. Navy missile destroyer, USS Porter, will also join the USS Donald Cook, but, according to experts, it will not arrive in the Eastern Mediterranean before April 16.