Missile Cruiser Varyag to Join Russian Task-Force in the Med

The Russian Navy’s missile cruiser Varyag will head to the Mediterranean in October to relieve the lead ship of the Russian task-force deployed to the region, the guided-missile cruiser Moskva, Interfax-AVN reported citing a naval official.

Varyag, which is the flagship of Russia’s Pacific Fleet, departed from the Vladovostok-based naval base last week, embarking on a deployment to the Indian Ocean.

Aside to Moskva, which should be back in Sevastopol in November, the task-force comprises large destroyer Admiral Panteleyev, the guard ships Neustrashimy and Smetlivy, along with landing ships Alexander Shabalin, Peresvyet, Admiral Nevelskoi, Novocherkassk, Nikolai Filchenkov, and Minsk.

Earlier this month, the Russian Navy bolstered its presence in the Mediterranean region to ten ships by sending  Moskva, the destroyer Smetlivy and the assault landing ship Nikolai Filchenkov amid rising tensions brought about by the Syrian conflict.

What is more,  the Mediterranean task force of the Russian Navy could be reinforced even further by the end of September, with the announced joining of the Black Sea Fleet assault landing ship Yamal, according to RIA Novosti.

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Naval Today Staff, September 26, 2013