{"id":52371,"date":"2018-08-28T16:34:50","date_gmt":"2018-08-28T16:34:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/08\/28\/russia-deploys-military-ships-to-syria-armed-with-kalibr-cruise-missiles\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:49:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:49:47","slug":"russia-deploys-military-ships-to-syria-armed-with-kalibr-cruise-missiles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2018\/08\/28\/russia-deploys-military-ships-to-syria-armed-with-kalibr-cruise-missiles\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia deploys military ships to Syria armed with Kalibr cruise missiles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

MOSCOW \u2014 The Russian military is deploying a flotilla<\/a> of at least 10 ships to the Syrian coast, the Izvestia newspaper reported Tuesday, citing unidentified Defense Ministry sources. The grouping was reported as Russia\u2019s most powerful to deploy to Syria since Moscow began its intervention in the conflict there nearly two years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Izvestia report comes one day after Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov told reporters that Moscow was concerned over apparent preparations for an American cruise missile strike on Syrian government forces as they ready to launch a final offensive on Idlib \u2014 the last remaining rebel stronghold in the Syrian civil war. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Russian naval grouping<\/a> is led by the Northern Fleet\u2019s guided missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov, a large anti-submarine warfare ship called the Severomorsk, three of Russia\u2019s newest frigates, one large patrol ship, three small missile boats and two Kilo-class submarines. Many of these ships, Izvestia noted, are armed with Russia\u2019s Kalibr cruise missiles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several more ships are reportedly en route to join the flotilla, making it Russia\u2019s largest (in terms of pure numbers of hulls deployed) naval deployment to Syria \u2014 and possibly the largest since the end of the Cold War. But claims that it is the most powerful deployment are dubious; in late 2016 Russia\u2019s two largest ships led an eight-ship flotilla to Syria on a power-projection cruise.<\/p>\n\n\n\t