TEHRAN (FNA)- A Russian navy spokesman said on Wednesday that two missile corvettes of Russia's Black Sea Fleet left their base in Sevastopol to reinforce Russia's group of warships in the Mediterranean.
The warships, The Serpukhov and The Zelyony Dol which are equipped with Kalibr long-range cruise missiles, left Sevastopol on Tuesday and are expected to reach the Mediterranean on Wednesday evening, Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet spokesman Nikolai Voskresensky said, Business Standard reported.
Earlier on Wednesday, Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that a battery of S-300 air defense systems has been delivered to Syria to protect a naval base in the port of Tartus as well as Russian warships deployed off the Syrian coast.
“Syria received an S-300 anti-aircraft missile system. This system is designed to ensure the safety of the naval base in Syrian city of Tartus and ships located in the coastal area in Syria said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.
Konashenkov said it is unclear why the deployment of the missile system has created such a fuss in the West, adding that the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system is a purely defensive system and poses no threat.
The system reportedly has a range of 250 kilometers (roughly 150 miles) and can simultaneously engage up to 24 aircraft or 16 ballistic targets in various combinations.