Sputnik International:
Russia maintains a naval presence off the Syrian coast, consisting of about ten vessels of various classes, including warships and submarines which have been used to rain precision Kalibr cruise missiles down on terrorist targets in the Arab Republic.
An area of international waters off the coast of Syria in the Mediterranean Sea has been closed off for imminent Russian missile firing drills, a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) circulated Wednesday has revealed.
The drills, to be held January on 9-10, 16-17, 23-24 and 30-31, will see the area closed off to both ships and civilian aircraft between 10 am and 6 pm Moscow time.
Russia has repeatedly held drills in the Mediterranean Sea off the Syrian coast in 2018, with the largest such exercises held in September, when 26 ships and 34 aircraft engaged in training in the area amid threats by the US-led coalition to launch airstrikes against Syria under the pretext of the use of chemical weapons in the country’s rebel and terrorist-held Idlib province.
