Russia deploys cruise missile-armed frigate to Syria after US airstrike: Source

Russia has reportedly sent a missile-armed frigate to its naval base in Syria’s Mediterranean coastal city of Tartus following a recent US missile strike against an airbase in the Arab country.

Russian Black Sea Fleet’s frigate The Admiral Grigorovich, currently on a routine voyage, was to enter the Mediterranean on Friday, a military-diplomatic source in Moscow told TASS, adding that the ship would make a stop at the logistics base in Syria’s port of Tartus.

"The Russian ship armed with cruise missiles Kalibr will visit the logistics base in Tartus, Syria," the source said.

The Admiral Grigorovich was near the Black Sea straits. It was scheduled to enter the Mediterranean at about 14:00 Moscow time. The ship left on a voyage after replenishing supplies at Novorossiisk and taking part in a joint exercise with Turkish ships in the Black Sea.

The source said the frigate’s presence off Syria’s shores will depend on the situation, but "in any way it will last more than a month."

There is no confirmation of this from official sources.

The frigate’s previous voyage lasted for the whole month of March.

The ship entered the Mediterranean on March 2. On March 31 the Defense Ministry said it was back to Novorossiisk.

The Admiral Grigorovich is the head ship of project 11356. Such ships have a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, speed of 30 knots and endurance of 30 days. It is armed with Kalibr-NK cruise missiles, a missile self-defense system Shtil-1, and a 100 mm artillery piece A-190. It is capable of carrying a deck helicopter.