Russia is sending four more warships to the Mediterranean Sea, the defence ministry said on Tuesday, as the crisis in Syria worsens and Moscow takes measures for a possible evacuation of citizens.
The four landing ships will join an escort ship and smaller vessels that are already on duty in the region, the defence ministry said in a statement to Russian news agencies.
A military source quoted by RIA Novosti said their main task could be taking part in a possible evacuation of Russian citizens from Syria.
"Even though the tasks of the warships has not been announced, it can be assumed that given the development of the situation in the region their main job will be taking part in a possible evacuation of Russian citizens from Syria," said the source.
Aid and evacuation
Russia has also sent two planes to the country to pick up Russians wanting to leave as the navy despatched four warships to the Mediterranean reportedly for a possible larger evacuation.
Two emergencies ministry planes carrying humanitarian aid for Syria took off from Moscow for the port city of Latakia and would take any Russians wanting to leave on their flight back, the ministry said.
Observers are watching for any hints of Russia planning a full-scale evacuation of its citizens which would be seen as a tacit admission from Moscow that the regime of President Bashar al-Assad is doomed in its fight against rebels.
The defence ministry said in a statement to Russian news agencies that the ships would be on "military service" but gave no further details.
The Russian emergencies ministry Ilyushin-62 and Ilyushin-76 planes were carrying over 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid and would be ready to evacuate any Russians wanting to leave the country, a ministry statement said.
The aid consists of electrical equipment, bedding, tents as well as foodstuffs like fish and milk conserves as well as sugar.
"Citizens of Russia and the (ex-Soviet grouping) CIS wanting to leave can leave Syria on these planes," the ministry said, adding that the departure from Latakia back to Moscow was planned former later Tuesday.
It said a hotline had been set up for Russians who were thinking of leaving Syria with psychologists on hand to take the calls.
The Interfax news agency quoted sources in the Russian community in Syria as saying that 150 Russians and other ex-Soviet citizens could be flown out on the planes.
The voluntary evacuation would be the second such operation organised by Russia after it took out 77 people fleeing Syria on two planes flying from Beirut in neighbouring Lebanon in January.
However it would be the first directly from the territory of Syria itself.
According to Russian media, 8,000 Russians are registered with the consulate in Syria but there could be as many as 25,000 Russian women who have married Syrians living in the country.
Western diplomats have accused Russia of going back on a pledge to stop supplying the Syrian regime with arms.
Analysts say Western nations, such as Britain, now appear to be isolated over the assurances made by members of the international community to stop the arms flow into the crisis-torn Syria.
Assurances, presented by British officials over a month ago, were agreed on by the Russians
“The flow of arms has, however, continued unhindered with the Russians stressing that there was no United Nations prohibition on supplies and it was simply fulfilling its contractual obligations,” the Guardian noted in a report on Monday.
