The Black Sea Fleet’s task force group operating in eastern Mediterranean Sea off Syria comprises 15 vessels, including two frigates and a submarine, accompanied by various landing and auxiliary ships, the Russian Navy says.
The naval group is taking an active part in combating Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in Syria. On Wednesday, the ‘Admiral Essen’ and submarine ‘Krasnodar’ fired four Kalibr missiles, targeting IS positions near Palmyra.
The task force’s strike assets are the navy’s newest frigates ‘Admiral Grigorovich’ and ‘Admiral Essen’, as well as corvette ‘Smetlivy’ and submarine ‘Krasnodar’, a spokesman for the Black Sea Fleet said.
Three large landing ships – ‘Caesar Kunikov’, ‘Nikolay Filchenkov’ and ‘Azov’ – as well as mine-sweepers, counter-insurgency craft and a tanker, are other auxiliary ships assigned to the Mediterranean task force, he added.
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