Posted on 08/22/2012 8:46:38 PM PDT by Rabin
Last month, the Russia Navy announced it was assembling a task force in the Mediterranean: a frigate, two corvettes, five landing craft (with, 3 reinforced Marines companys ) and a tanker. “to defend Russian shipping in the event of a naval blockade" of Syria by NATO naval forces. By the end of July, the two landing ships from the Black Sea fleet returned to Sevastopol. This month, the three landing craft from the North Fleet remaining “are planned to dock in Tartus” – the Russian naval base in Syria. After docking in Tartus, the Russian military command planned to send its ships into the Black Sea to dock at Novorossiysk naval base. A couple of days later and without explanations, the navy announced its ships will not go to Tartus. The reduced flotilla will go directly to Novorossiysk.
This week, Russian naval plans U-turned again without explanation: The Russian (re)decreased Mediterranean flotilla, headed away from Syria not to Novorossiysk, but “to the Western Mediterranean to continue exercises”. At present the Russian amphibious task force passed Sicily and is deployed off Sardinia,
The true meaning of the seemingly erratic Russian naval maneuvers in the Mediterranean has baffled observers in Moscow and is seen as a sign of weakness and indecisiveness
(Excerpt) Read more at jamestown.org ...
Rab.
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