MOSCOW, February 4. /TASS/. A group of amphibious assault ships of the Northern and Baltic Fleets arrived at the Russian Navy’s logistics facility in the Syrian port of Tartus, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday.
The naval task force made up of the large amphibious assault ships Pyotr Morgunov, Georgy Pobedonosets, Olenegorsky Gornyak, Korolyov, Minsk and Kaliningrad completed its transit around Europe and arrived in the eastern Mediterranean as part of the drills under the direction of Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Nikolay Yevmenov, the ministry informed.
"Currently, the ships are in a roadstead in the Syrian port of Tartus where they have begun replenishing their fuel and lubricants, fresh water and food supplies to the required level at the Russian Navy’s logistic support facility in the Mediterranean," the ministry said in a statement.
Russian naval ships can arrive at the Tartus logistics facility to anchor, carry out repairs, replenish supplies or undergo maintenance.
Large amphibious assault ships of Project 11711 (the Pyotr Morgunov) and Project 775 (the Georgy Pobedonosets, the Olenegorsky Gornyak, the Korolyov, the Minsk and the Kaliningrad) are designated to land an amphibious assault force on an unequipped shore and sealift troops and cargo. They are capable of transporting various types of armor.
In compliance with the 2022 plan of the Russian Armed Forces’ training, a series of naval drills is being held in January-February this year in all the areas of responsibility of the Navy’s fleets under the general command of Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Yevmenov.
The naval maneuvers are focused on measures by the Navy and the Aerospace Force to protect Russia’s national interests in the World Ocean and counter military threats to Russia from the direction of seas and oceans.
The drills will cover the seas adjacent to Russian territory and also operationally important areas of the World Ocean. Separate drills will run in the Mediterranean, North and Okhotsk Seas, in the northeastern Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean.
Overall, the massive drills will bring together over 140 warships and support vessels, more than 60 aircraft, 1,000 items of military hardware and about 10,000 troops.