Russia sends missile cruiser to Mediterranean - Interfax

[Bosonic]

Source: Reuters

Russia is sending a missile cruiser to the east Mediterranean to take over the navy's operations in the region, state agency Interfax quoted a military source as saying on Wednesday, as the United States prepares for a possible military strike in Syria.

President Barack Obama has won backing from key figures in the U.S. Congress in his call for limited U.S. strikes on Syria to punish President Bashar al-Assad for his suspected use of chemical weapons against civilians.

The ship, Moskva, will take over operations from a naval unit in the region that Moscow says is needed to protect national interests. It will be joined by a destroyer from Russia's Baltic Fleet and a frigate from the Black Sea Fleet.

"The Cruiser Moskva is heading to the Gibraltar Straits. In approximately 10 days it will enter the east Mediterranean, where it will take over as the flagship of the naval task force," the source said.

Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/09/04/uk-syria-crisis-russia-ship-idUKBRE9830EO20130904

[dipsydoodle]

1. That's contradicts what RIA Novosti published yesterday.

Russia Has No Plans to Expand Mediterranean Fleet – Source.

MOSCOW, September 3 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s naval force in the Mediterranean Sea will not be expanded despite the worsening situation in the region, a military-diplomatic source in Moscow told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.

“There have been no orders to expand anything there, and there will not be. The strength and type of forces that we have in the Mediterranean Sea today are sufficient to keep us fully informed about what is happening,” the source said.

He also confirmed local media reports Monday that the electronic intelligence ship Priazovye is being sent to the region, but explained that this is part of regular rotation within Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

“Yes, we want to know what is happening in this key region in which Russia has serious interests. We want to see and know what is happening there, what to prepare for in this region,” the source added.

http://en.ria.ru/military_news/20130903/183134100/Russia-Has-No-Plans-to-Expand-Mediterranean-Fleet--Source.html

[bemildred]

2. The Russians have learned all of our tricks. nt

[jakeXT]

3. Iter Tass reported two other ships yesterday

MOSCOW, September 3 (Itar-Tass) - Russia’s Black and Baltic Sea Fleets’ Ropucha-class landing ships Novocherkassk and Minsk have sailed off for the Mediterranean Sea, the press service of the Russian defence ministry told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.

“The Russian Navy continues stage-by-stage rotation of warships and support ships of the standing naval force in the Mediterranean,” the spokesman said. “Having passed through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits, the big landing ships will reach the designated area in the Mediterranean Sea on September 5 or 6 to start their mission under the command of the remote zone headquartered onboard the big anti-submarine ship of the Russian Pacific Fleet Admiral Panteleyev.”

Currently, one of the key tasks of the Russian standing naval force in the Mediterranean is “comprehensive monitoring over the air, underwater and surface situation in the zone of its deployment,” the Russian defence ministry said, adding that the rotation of Russian warships in the Mediterranean Sea would continue till mid-September.

http://www.itar-tass.com/en/c32/863141.html

[SummerSnow]

4. They are protecting their national interests

War with Russia..not pretty

[David__77]

5. Most will disagree with me, but I believe Russia has the power to prevent this thing from going down

If Russia says that intervention in Syria is a "red line," I think that Obama would back off. I honestly do. It may NOT be a red line for Russia, however. But I refuse to believe that there aren't those in the Russian national security council that believe that Islamic insurgency in Syria must be defeated as a matter of Russian security, lest those thousands descend on Russia next. Say what you will about Assad, but he has sent more radical jihadists to their graves than the US over the past two years. So who is really fighting the war on terror?