Death toll from Lebanon migrant boat climbs to 71
At least 71 people died when the migrant boat they were aboard sank off the Syrian coast after sailing from Lebanon earlier this week, the Lebanese transport minister said, as search operations continued on Friday.It marks the deadliest such voyage yet from Lebanon, where mounting economic desperation has led many to board often rickety and overcrowded boats in the hope of reaching Europe.Syrian authorities began finding bodies off the coast of Tartus on Thursday afternoon. The Syrian transport ministry has cited survivors saying the boat left from Lebanon's northern Minyeh region on Tuesday with between 120 and 150 people onboard, bound for Europe.
Russia Plans New Naval Facility in Sudan
President Vladimir Putin on Monday approved the creation of a Russian naval facility in Sudan capable of mooring nuclear-powered surface vessels, clearing the way for Moscow’s first substantial military foothold in Africa since the Soviet fall.The new facility, earmarked to be built in the vicinity of Port Sudan, will be capable of accommodating up to 300 military and civilian personnel and improve Russia’s ability to operate in the Indian Ocean, expanding its influence in Africa.Putin presided over a flagship Russia-Africa summit last year…
Russia to Invest $500 mln in Syrian Port
Russia plans to invest $500 million in the Syrian port of Tartus and build a grain hub there to boost its presence on Middle East markets, Interfax news agency cited Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov as saying on Tuesday.Russia, the world's largest wheat exporter, has stepped up grain supplies to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in recent years since Moscow's 2015 military intervention on his behalf in Syria's civil war.Construction of the necessary infrastructure at the port…
Russia to Build Permanent Syrian Naval Base, Eyes Other Outposts
Russia will create a permanent naval base in Syria to expand its military footprint in its closest Middle East ally, a government official said on Monday, a week after Moscow said it was considering reopening Soviet-era bases in Vietnam and Cuba. The move, announced by Russian Deputy Defence Minister Nikolai Pankov, is further evidence Russia is building up its capabilities in Syria despite a partial drawdown in March and another sign it is digging in for the long haul to help prop up President Bashar al-Assad.
Russia Sends Ships, Aircraft and Forces to Syria
Russia has sent two tank landing ships and additional aircraft to Syria in the past day or so and has deployed a small number of forces there, U.S. officials said on Wednesday, in the latest signs of a military buildup that has put Washington on edge. The two U.S. officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the intent of Russia's military moves in Syria remained unclear. U.S. officials have not ruled out the possibility that Moscow may be laying the groundwork for an air combat role in Syria's conflict to bolster Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Assad, a longtime Russian ally, has seen the area he controls whittled down to a fifth or less of Syria's territory after more than four years of grinding civil war.
Greece Detain Weapons-Carrying Ship, Arrest Crew
The Greek coast guard has detained the cargo ship 'Nour M', sailing under the flag of Sierra Leone from Ukraine and carrying a large quantity of arms and explosives without proper documents, reports the Ukraine News Agency, citing Greek media sources. Citing data from ANA, the Athens state news agency, the report adds that the ship was intercepted near the Greek island of Symi. The captain stated that the destination was the Turkish port of Iskenderun, but at the same time, there are reports that some of the load might have been intended for delivery to the ports of Tartus (Syria) and Tripoli (Libya). According to ANA, the captain, a Turkish citizen, and seven crew members were arrested. Source: Ukraine News Agency
Vietnam Maintenance Base Granted to Russian Navy
Sang, speaking to the Voice of Russia radio station ahead of a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, stressed that the port would not be a Russian military base. But he also said that Cam Ranh would be used to help develop “military co-operation” between the two former Cold War allies. Sang also said Hanoi was planning to develop the capacity to provide maintenance services to any foreign ship docking at Cam Ranh, a former Soviet naval base. Russia currently has only one foreign military base outside the former Soviet Union – in Tartus, Syria. But officials say the base is little more than a re-fuelling stop for Russian warships. Russia’s naval chief, Vice Admiral Viktor Chirkov, confirmed that Russia was in talks on obtaining naval bases in Cuba, Vietnam and in the Seychelles.
Russian Warship's Syrian Role Clarified
A Russian amphibious landing ship, the Caesar Kunikov left the Black Sea port of Sevastopol for what a Black Sea Fleet officer said was a routine exercise at a training base, in response to media reports earlier this week that it could be heading for Syria. Some Ukrainian media sources also reported, referring to CNN and other western media, that another large amphibious ship from the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the Nikolai Filchenkov, was heading for the Syrian port of Tartus carrying weapons and marines to defend Russia’s naval facility. Last week, U.S.
Russian Ammunition Ship Did Dock in Syria Say Rights Group
According to Reuters, Washington condemned the reported weapons delivery. "Today's updated shipping databases show that the cargo ship Professor Katsman did in fact dock in the port of Tartus on May 26, 2012 before heading to Piraeus, Greece," Sadia Hameed of Human Rights First told Reuters. Western officials confirmed her remarks, adding that they understood the ship had been carrying arms for the government of Syria, which for 14 months has been using its security forces to attack an increasingly militarized opposition. One Western diplomat told Reuters the shipment included heavy weapons, though it was not immediately clear what kind of heavy arms.
Russian Warship to Exercise off Syria
A Russian warship will dock at the Syrian port of Tartus before planned exercises off the country's Mediterranean coast. The Smetlivy guided-missile destroyer will remain in the western Mediterranean through May. Smetlivy is the last Kashin-class destroyer in the Russian Navy. The ship returned to service after repairs in 2011. Its armament includes two 76-mm AK-726 guns and a SS-N-25 Switchblade anti-ship missile system. There has been an increased presence of NATO warships in the region since the uprising against the regine of President Bashar al-Assad began in March last year.
Navy Tanker, Not Warship, near Syria Says Moscow
As tensions around Syria escalate, media reports said a Russian warship with marines onboard had arrived off the Syrian coast, although Russia, an ally of President Bashar al-Assad, denied the reports, but a senior member of the European parliament demanded an inquiry into the allegations. The Russian Defense Ministry said one of its tankers, Iman, had arrived off the Syrian coast for technical reasons and its civilian crew was accompanied by security guards. The ministry said the tanker was carrying fuel and food supplies for the Russian Black Sea and Northern fleets, which are engaged in anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden.
