Russia sends two armed frigates through Bosporus following deadly Syrian airstrike against Turkey and rising tensions

4:51 pm, February 28, 2020

The Russian naval frigates Admiral Makarov and Admiral Grigorovich departed from Sevastopol for the Mediterranean Sea on the morning of February 28. Both were carrying Kalibr-NK missile complexes. At around midday, the two ships passed through the Bosporus in Turkey, the Daily Sabah reported.

The previous night, an airstrike in the Idlib region of Syria had killed 33 Turkish troops. Russia and Turkey are opposed in a proxy war in Syria that is growing increasingly close to a hot war between the two major world powers. Both Turkish and Russian representatives said the February 27 – 28 airstrike was carried out by Syrian government forces, not Russian troops, but Russian military spokespeople argued that Turkish soldiers had been interspersed in terrorist units “where they’re not supposed to be” during the strike.

Russia’s Black Sea Fleet indicated that the Admiral Makarov and Admiral Grigorovich are set to join the Russian Navy’s established fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, where another frigate, the Admiral Essen, also has Kalibr missiles on board. However, Russia’s Defense Ministry did not specify whether the move was routine or the result of current events.

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