Support The Moscow Times!

NATO Urges Restraint Following Russian Naval Buildup Near Syria

Yoruk Isik / Reuters

The NATO military alliance has called for restraint amid reports that Russia has amassed the biggest naval task force near Syria since the start of Moscow's intervention in the country’s civil war.

Russia’s navy dispatched a dozen vessels to the Eastern Mediterranean after the U.S. national security adviser reportedly warned that Washington was ready to attack Syria if chemical weapons were used in the country. Russian media called the reinforcement “the most powerful grouping” dispatched to Syria since Moscow entered the conflict in September 2015.

NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu confirmed the Russian buildup in the Mediterranean to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper but declined to “speculate on the intention of the Russian fleet.”

“[I]t is important that all actors in the region exercise restraint and refrain from worsening an already disastrous humanitarian situation in Syria,” she was quoted as saying.

Reuters said its analysis of shipping traffic showed at least three frigates, a missile corvette and a landing ship being deployed to the Mediterranean this month.

The reinforcement, which includes warships carrying Kalibr cruise missiles, comes amid reports that Syrian President Bashar Assad is preparing an assault on Idlib, one of the last rebel-held areas in the country.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more