Russia’s naval joint force in the Mediterranean will be escorting ships with chemical weapons once they leave Syria, said a top official at the Russian Chief of Staff, according to the RIA news agency.
According to the latest reports, Russia’s task force in the Mediterranean consists of five battleships: the nuclear-powered missile cruiser, ‘Pyotr Veliky’, the missile destroyer ‘Smetlivy’ and three large landing craft carriers, ‘Yamal,’ ‘Filchenkov,’ and ‘Pobeditel.’
"The decision to provide a ship for the precise task will be taken later, on the basis of the tactical situation in the Mediterranean sea. This decision will be made by the head of the General Staff after a report from the chief commander of Russia's Navy," the military official told RIA.
Earlier the UN mission supervising the dismantling of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal expressed concern over security risks posed by the continued fighting in Syria.