Russia Will 'Evacuate' Its Naval Base in Syria if Attacked

July 31, 2012 from Press TV

Russia says it will evacuate its servicemen deployed at its naval base in the port of Tartus in Syria, if it comes under attack. The Navy chief Viktor Chirkov expressed concern for the safety of the base in the light of intense battles for the country's second city of Allepo, located less than 200 kilometers away. The Free Syrian Army previously said they would target the base for Russia's support of the Syrian government. Earlier this month, Russia sent a fleet of ships, including five giant amphibious assault ships, capable of carrying large number of people, to the Mediterranean Sea. But Moscow insists it was nothing more than a planned military exercise.

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Tartus

Tartus is a city on the Mediterranean coast of Syria. Tartus is the second largest port city in Syria, and the largest city in Tartus Governorate. The population is 115,769. It borders Latakia to the north and Homs to the east and south. The native language in Tartus is Syrian... Explore this topic

Russian Navy

The Russian Navy is the naval arm of the Russian military. The present Russian Navy was formed in January 1992, succeeding the Navy of the Commonwealth of Independent States, which had itself succeeded the Soviet Navy following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1... Explore this topic

Syria

Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south and Israel to the southwest. A country of fertile plains, high mountains and deserts, i... Explore this topic

Syrian Civil War

The Syrian civil war is an ongoing armed conflict in Syria between forces loyal to the Syrian Ba'ath Party government and those seeking to oust it. The conflict began on 15 March 2011, with popular demonstrations that grew nationwide by April 2011. These demonstrations were pa... Explore this topic

Russia-Syria relations

Russia–Syria relations refers to the bilateral relationship between the two countries, Russia and Syria. Russia has an embassy in Damascus and had a consulate in Aleppo, since closed down. Syria has an embassy in Moscow. Russia enjoys a historically strong, stable, and friendl... Explore this topic

Free Syrian Army

The Free Syrian Army is an armed opposition structure operating in Syria during the Syrian civil war. Composed of defected Syrian Armed Forces personnel and volunteers, its formation was announced on 29 July 2011 in a video released on the internet by a uniformed group of dese... Explore this topic

Russia

Russia or, also officially known as the Russian Federation, is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares land borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania an... Explore this topic

Battle of Aleppo

Violent clashes began on 19 July in several Aleppo districts, leading to the Free Syrian Army taking control of some areas. On 24 July, for the first time since the beginning of the uprising in Syria, fighter jets bombed the city. This was part of a larger counter offensive by... Explore this topic

Viktor Chirkov

Viktor Viktorovich Chirkov is a Russian admiral and the former commander of the Baltic Fleet. On 6 May 2012, he was appointed the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, succeeding Vladimir Vysotsky, who had occupied the post for almost five years. Entering the Navy in 1979, a... Explore this topic

Amphibious assault ship

An amphibious assault ship is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault. The design evolved from aircraft carriers converted for use as helicopter carriers, but includes support for amphibious landi... Explore this topic

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Tartus

Russian Navy

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