The Russian Defense Ministry announced that six amphibious assault ships of the Russian Northern and Baltic Fleet had arrived at the Russian Navy's logistics center in Tartus, western Syria.
In a statement, the ministry's press office said that the naval task force is made up of the large amphibious assault ships Pyotr Morgunov, Georgy Pobedonosets, Olenegorsky Gornyak, Korolyov, Minsk, and Kaliningrad.
The fleet completed its transit around Europe and arrived in the eastern Mediterranean as part of the drills under Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Nikolay Yevmenov, the ministry said.
The ships have traveled more than 6000 nautical miles, and the vessels are currently anchored in the port of Tartus, on the coast of Syria, where they supply fuel, drinking water, and foodstuffs.
Moscow and Damascus signed an agreement on expanding the Russian war fleet's material and technical supply center in Tartus.
The agreement allows the presence of 11 warships, including nuclear ones, for 49 years, with the possibility of automatic renewal for 25 years.
The agreement, which entered into effect on January 18, 2017, stipulates that Russia will protect the supply center of its fleet in the sea and the air, and Syria will defend the center from land.
The document stipulates that the Syrian side will hand over to Russia lands and waters in Tartus for free use throughout the term of the agreement and real estate that has not been officially announced.
A Russian military source at the Russian Hmeimim military base revealed that the Russian military police are conducting regular patrols in and around the ports of Latakia and Tartus to protect them from any attacks that terrorist groups may carry out.
Sputnik news agency quoted a Russian military source saying that the Russian reconnaissance aircrafts launched their activities in monitoring the various sections and stations of the Latakia port completely and around the clock.
The Russian forces continue to patrol the port and its nearby area.
The Russian "Rus Vesna" website reported last Monday that the Russian military police conducts several patrols inside the port of Latakia to prevent new attacks.
The measure is the first of its kind in the vicinity of the port used by Iran to transport its imports to Syria, under an agreement that allows regular freight between Bandar Abbas port and Lattakia port.
In recent weeks, the vicinity of Latakia port was attacked twice, and the Syrian air defenses intercepted the strikes, according to state-owned Syrian media.
