Are The Russians Preparing To Evacuate Syria?

The Russian Federation Navy Udaloy class destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov transiting the channel into Pearl Harbor in October 2003 (photo credit: US Navy)

Russian Warship Heads To Syria In Preparation For A Possible Evacuation -- Times of Israel

Moscow officials have acknowledged that citizens will be pulled out of the country should Assad’s regime fall.

The Kremlin is sending another warship to the Syrian port of Tartus, where Russia has a naval base, Russian news agencies reported.

The reports Sunday by the ITAR-Tass and Interfax news agency cited an unidentified official in the military general staff as saying the Novocherkassk, a large landing ship, has set sail from the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk. She was “accompanied by a combat ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet,” according to a Russian news source.

The Novocherkassk was the third vessel of its kind dispatched since Friday from Russia to Tartus, AFP reported, and was expected to arrive in the area in early January.

The reports gave no information on the ship’s intent. But Russian diplomats have said that Moscow is preparing a plan to evacuate thousands of Russians from Syria if necessary. The Defense Ministry announced two weeks ago that several ships were being dispatched to the Mediterranean.

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Update #1: Reports: Russia sends another naval ship to Syrian port -- Washington Post/AP
Update #2: Report: Russia Sends Landing Ships to Syria -- Defense News/AFP

My Comment: The U.N. special envoy is now predicting that 100,000 Syrians are going to die if this civil war continues for the rest of the year. If true .... that the situation is this dire .... I am surprised that the Russians are not evacuating right now.