Russian Navy: gets same deal as Germans in Cyprus

German Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung, center, is welcomed by German UNIFIL soldiers in Limassol, Cyprus, on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006.

British Forces Cyprus

Cyprus has made its ports available to the Russian fleet. "Cyprus is facilitating the navy of various countries, including the US, France, Germany and Israel." here

Cypriot media have reported that the government may allow Russia to use its base at Paphos to host military aircraft.

Russia has evacuated the last of its personnel from Syria, including from its Mediterranean naval base in Tartus, in a move that appears to underline Moscow's mounting concerns about the escalating crisis.

Russian media reported on June 26 that they had confirmed the evacuation with officials in the country's military and foreign ministry. 

The effective closure of the Tartus base would be a significant loss, though a 16-ship naval task force is still in the eastern Mediterranean. The base is Russia's only foothold in the Middle East.

Mikhail Bogdanov, the deputy foreign minister, said, "Today, the Russian defence ministry does not have a single person in Syria," he said. He described Tartus as a "technical facility for maintaining ships sailing in the Mediterranean."

[March 24]

Moscow wants presence comparable with Germany in Cyprus .   Claims seem to include the use of Cyprus for military purposes.   As part of their action in UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), the Germans have a bilateral agreement with the Republic of Cyprus, under which they can anchor in Limassol to Paphos and use land of the Republic, for operational reasons, such as exercises.  here

[March 22]

"The talks have ended as far as the Russian side is concerned," Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov.
[March 20]
As Cyprus tries to play Russia off against Europe to salvage its economy, It is likely the Russians will ask for some form of compensation for such an investment and Cyprus  might even offer the Kremlin an alternative Mediterranean port should ally Bashar al-Assad lose his civil war.. Russia is setting up a structure to monitor operation of its military ships in the Mediterranean sea, according to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu who said March 11 that Russia's navy are returning to the region "for long and with serious purposes".

Barred from NATO by a Turkish veto, the island was officially "unaligned" during the Cold War but has shown little appetite to be a direct Russian satellite.

Many western states have used the island as a logistics hub to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Former colonial power Britain retains two sovereign bases there but refrained from using them for air strikes on Libya in 2011 out of sensitivity to Cypriot opposition

A bailout from Moscow might solve the immediate banking crisis but greater Russian sway over Cypriot banks could scare off their Russian clients. Many moved money to Cyprus precisely to avoid unreliable Russian banks, rapacious tax officials and the reach of the Russian state itself.

[August 29 2012]

Tartus Naval Base

A Russian naval task force has successfully completed its protracted mission in the Atlantic, Navy spokesman said on August 29.

He added that the large anti-submarine ships Alexander Otrakovsky, Georgy Pobedonosets and Kondopoga had already returned to the port of Severomorsk.

[August 24]A Russian task force consisting of ships from three fleets (the Northern, Baltic and Black Sea fleets) has suddenly fallen apart, and the General Staff changed its plans for Northern Fleet vessels to stop off in the Black Sea.    Russia deliberately withdrew practically its entire military grouping from the Mediterranean, thereby altering the initial aim of the Caucasus-2012 drills, during which three large landing ships were to have called in at Novorossiisk on August 11-12.

Following the drills, the warships could have continued their tour of duty in the Mediterranean. But the plans were changed. Large NATO naval task forces are concentrated off Syrian coasts while the Russian grouping looks like a dwarf. “We will be unable to keep our facility in Tartus by military means,” a Defense Ministry source said. “We cannot, by military means, oppose countries that support the Syrian opposition,”.

He also denied reports that the staff of the Russian base had been evacuated due to the aggravation of the situation in western Syria. But he would not comment on reports that the naval facility in Syria would not provide supplies to Russian warships.

Yaroslav Mudry

[August 19]The large amphibious landing ships Alexander Ostrovsky, Georgy Pobedonosets, and Kondopoga will  leave for the Atlantic after resupply [at Tartus?].   Baltic Fleet frigates Yaroslav Mudry and Neustrashimy will remain in the Mediterranean and undertake exercises related to prevention of illegal arms trafficking and anti-terrorism.
[August 11]The Russian Defense Minister states that "contrary to media reports", the task force will not call at the Russian supply and maintenance facility at the Syrian port of Tartus.   The Russian task force is comprised of three large amphibious assault ships, two Neustrashimy class frigates, an Udaloy class destroyer and two support ships from Russia's Northern, Baltic and Black Sea Fleets.   "In the past two days the task force held tactical exercises which included firing drills involving on-board artillery and missile systems," the ministry said on Friday, quoted by RIA Novosti.   The warships will head to the Russian naval base of Novorossiisk after additional training in the central part of the Mediterranean later in August 2012.   read


[August 3]Russia’s three warships do not plan to stop at Syria port of Tartus, but may do so if they need to resupply,  The ships – Aleksandr Otrakovsky, Georgy Pobedonosets and Kondopogaeac – carry about 120 troops each, along with weapons and amphibious armored vehicles.
[Earlier]Russia's Defense Ministry denied on August 3 that it plans to send naval vessels to the Syrian port of Tartus, the state-owned RIA news agency said.

It dismissed reports, attributed by Russian news agencies to a source in the general staff, that Moscow was sending three large landing ships with marines aboard [Earlier].Russia is sending three warships carrying some 360 marines total to the Syrian port of Tartus and are expected to arrive at the port within days to deliver food and supplies to a Russian naval base there.

[August 2]   David Cameron welcomed Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, visiting the UK for the first time in seven years, and discussed the situation in Syria,among other subjects.

[July 25]A Russian naval flotilla of warships destined for the Syrian port of Tartus has entered the Mediterranean, Russia's defense ministry said July 25.

"The Russian ships today passed the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean at 1200 GMT," said a defence ministry spokesman, quoted by Itar-Tass agency.

Led by the Admiral Chabanenko anti-submarine destroyer, the three landing craft left their home port of Severomorsk in the Arctic Circle earlier this month. They are due to be joined in the Mediterranean by the Russian patrol ship Yaroslav Mudry as well as an assistance vessel.

The ships will perform "planned military manoeuvres", said the ministry. Earlier in the month a military source said the ships would be topping up on supplies of fuel, water and foodstuffs.

Russia has denied that the deployment is linked to the escalating conflict in Syria.

Admiral  Chernenko

Alexander Otrakovsky

K-433 St. George the Victor 

 SDK-182 “Kondopoga " Ropucha Class Landing Ship

Sergey Osipov

Nikolai Chiker

RUSSIAN NAVY warships docked at Limassol Cyprus over the weekend for the first time in at least ten years. 
The Russian frigate Smetlivy docked at Limassol port on July 15 at 9.30am to re-supply with food and water and rest its crew before heading off in the afternoon at 5.30pm.  
, a Russian tug boat Shakhter also docked at Limassol port at 7.56am and is due to leave 
july 16. 

A spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council said July 10 that the United States has "no reason to believe this move is anything out of the ordinary. "



[July 14]Russian observers made a list of ships which may soon be found in Syrian waters.

Large attack landing ships:
Georgiy Pobedonosets with carrying capacity of 500 tons of military cargo and equipment, and 225 troops;
Alexander Otrakovskiy with carrying capacity of 500 tons of military cargo and equipment, and 225 troops;
Kondopoga with carrying capacity of 500 tons of military cargo and equipment, and 225 troops;
Tsezar Kunikov with carrying capacity of 500 tons of military cargo and equipment, and 225 troops;
Nikolay Filchenkov with carrying capacity of 47 battle vehicles and 440 trrops;
Other ships:
Destroyer Admiral Chabanenko;
Destroyer Smetliviy;
Destroyer Admiral Panteleyev;
Destroyer Vice-admiral Kulakov;
Frigate Yaroslav Mudriy;
Auxiliary Naval ships:
Naval tankers Sergey Osipov, Lena, Boris Butoma and Ivan Bubnov;
4 naval salvage tugs.



[July 12]“Alaed” is, July 12, sailing southbound along the coast of northern Norway after she left Murmansk on July 10.."MV Alead” has reported that her port of destination this time is Baltiysk in the Russian Baltic enclave of Kalinigrad.  A flotilla of four Russian warships are sailing in the same direction some 50 nm north of "Alaed." The vessel, carrying arms for Syria, is now on its way south after she had to return to Murmansk in late June to be refitted with Russian flag.  The Defense Ministry said on July 10  a Russian naval task force was on its way to carry out naval exercises in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Seas.
The task force comprises warships from Russia’s Northern, Baltic and Black Sea Fleets,   "In order to develop training and combat missions from the base of Severomorsk got a group of ships in the BOD" Admiral Chabanenko ", large amphibious ship" Alexander Otrakovsky, K-433 St. George the Victor , a Delta III class nuclear-powered submarine SSBN. and SDK-182 “Kondopoga " Ropucha Class Landing Ship. . "The ships assigned to court security," Nikolai Chiker "and" Sergey Osipov . "The ships headed for the North Atlantic," - and  will join a detachment of ships in the Baltic Fleet patrol "Yaroslav the Wise" and tanker "Lena."   more