MOSCOW - The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed on February 27 that it was redeploying Admiral Grigorovich to the Mediterranean Sea, to support the Russian naval presence there.
Russian Navy Captain 1st-Class Vyacheslav Trukhachyov told Sputnik International, "The military vessel, under the command of Captain 3rd-Class Anatoly Velichko, has embarked on its third long-distance mission." The ship was commissioned in March 2016.
Russian officials did not comment on what the frigate's mission would be once it arrives in the Mediterranean. Sputnik International however cited a military commentator as noting that the vessel could support the Russian operations to recapture Palmyra, in Syria, from Islamic State militants.
The Syrian Army, backed by Russian airpower, captured Palmyra in the first half of last year, only to lose it again later when Islamic State launched a counterattack amid the Syrian Army's efforts to take all of Aleppo city. Currently, Syrian troops are advancing back towards Palmyra, with the aim of taking the strategic city that is situated along a road linking the west of Syria to the east.
Among its array of weapons, Admiral Grigorovich is armed with Kalibr cruise missiles, which can be used to target militant positions. In November, during Admiral Grigorovich's last deployment to the area, the frigate fired Kalibr cruise missiles at Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (now known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham), which is an al-Qaeda linked jihadist group, in Idlib and Islamic State in Homs.
You have 0 item(s) in your cart