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Conflict in Syria

Russia's cruise missile-armed frigate heading for Syria’s Tartus — source

The Russian Black Sea Fleet’s frigate The Admiral Grigorovich, currently on a routine voyage, is to enter the Mediterranean later on April 7

Black Sea Fleet’s frigate The Admiral Grigorovich Alexandr Karpushkin/TASS

Black Sea Fleet’s frigate The Admiral Grigorovich

© Alexandr Karpushkin/TASS

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MOSCOW, April 7. /TASS/. The Russian Black Sea Fleet’s frigate The Admiral Grigorovich, currently on a routine voyage, is to enter the Mediterranean later on Friday, a military-diplomatic source in Moscow told TASS, adding that the ship would make a stop at the logistics base in Syria’s port of Tartus.

"The Russian ship armed with cruise missiles Kalibr will visit the logistics base in Tartus, Syria," the source said.

The Admiral Grigorovich is currently near the Black Sea straits. It is scheduled to enter the Mediterranean at about 14:00 Moscow time. The ship left on a voyage after replenishing supplies at Novorossiisk and taking part in a joint exercise with Turkish ships in the Black Sea.

Корабли #ЧФ «Адмирал Григорович», «Вице-адмирал Захарьин» и корабли ВМС Турции провели двустороннее учение PASSEX https://t.co/Gn0a5DocYP pic.twitter.com/KuhHX2kXOH
— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) 6 April 2017

The source said the frigate’s presence off Syria’s shores will depend on the situation, but "in any way it will last more than a month."

TASS has no confirmation of this from official sources.

The frigate’s previous voyage lasted for the whole month of March.

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The ship entered the Mediterranean on March 2. On March 31 the Defense Ministry said it was back to Novorossiisk.

The Admiral Grigorovich is the head ship of project 11356. Such ships have a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, speed of 30 knots and endurance of 30 days. It is armed with Kalibr-NK cruise missiles, a missile self-defense system Shtil-1, and a 100 mm artillery piece A-190. It is capable of carrying a deck helicopter.

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Russia’s naval task force back home after successful operation off Syria's coast

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