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Russia Uses Syrian Port to Demonstrate Power in Mediterranean

[Jerusalem Post] Alex Kogan - Russia is expanding its military presence in Syria, developing an advanced naval port at Tartus and providing Syria with sophisticated missile technology. Tartus, Syria's second most important port after Latakia, is Moscow's only foreign naval outpost situated outside the former Soviet Union. Russian media reported last year that Moscow had begun dredging at Tartus with a possible eye to turning what was largely a logistical base into a full-fledged station for its Black Sea Fleet, soon to be redeployed from the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol. Tartus allows projection of Russian power into the entire eastern Mediterranean, and, by extension, a flexing of military might before Israel and the West. Russian sources said the country's military planned to form a squadron to operate in the Mediterranean within three years, built around the Moskva missile cruiser. Russian newspapers have reported that Moscow planned to deploy an S-300PMU-2 Favorit air-defense system to protect the base, with the system being operated by Russian servicemen rather than by Syrian forces. According to these reports, the system would provide air defense protection for a large part of Syria.
2007-08-31 01:00:00
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