Russian naval group may call at Syria port to top up supplies - ministry
MOSCOW. Aug 3 (Interfax-AVN) - A Russian naval group that is currently sailing in the Mediterranean is not planned to call at the Russian naval logistic support base in Tartus, Syria, but "has a full right" to do so if its missions take longer to carry out than planned, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.
"The group includes logistic vessels that enable the ships to replenish their supplies in the sea and carry out long-term missions with a high degree of self-sustainability," the ministry said in a statement made available to Interfax-AVN.
"At the same time, it should be taken into account that, in the event of larger duration of the mission and an increase in the range of tasks that it involves, the command of the group has a full right to have the supplies replenished from the Tartus logistic support base, which is what this facility exists for," it said.
"It is expected that on August 4 a squadron comprising large anti-submarine destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov, which belongs to the Northern Fleet, Black Sea Fleet tanker Ivan Bubnov and Black Sea Fleet tugboat MB-304 will join the inter-fleet group," the statement said.
