Russia Dispatches Warships with Modern Kalibr Cruise Missiles as Tensions with Turkey Heat Up Over Idlib Clashes

Amid escalating clashes between the Syrian Arab Army and Turkish backed militants in Idlib province, the last major stronghold of jihadist insurgents in the country, tensions between Russia and Turkey have escalated considerably. The situation on the ground, and a more heavy handed Turkish intervention on the side of islamist militants including multiple strikes on Syrian targets, has led Russia to escalate its own air campaign in support of the Syrian government. More recently, it was announced on February 28th that the Russian Navy had dispatched two frigates, the Admiral Makarov and the Admiral Grigorovich, to the Mediterranean Sea. Both frigates are of the Admiral Grigorovich Class.

The Admiral Grigorovich Class are among the most modern classes of warships in the Russian Navy, the first of which was commissioned in March 2016, and each can carry up to eight Kalibr, P-800 or Zicron cruises missiles alongside 24 medium ranged surface to air missiles. The warships are reportedly equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles, and the Admiral Grigorovich itself has previously conducted strikes against jihadists targets in Syria using the missiles. Their deployment will place not only jihadist positions in Idlib within range - positions which also host Turkish personnel, but also allow for airstrikes against targets across Turkish territory which, given the country’s negligible air defence capability, can pose a major threat. It has been speculated that growing Turkish intervention in Idlib, including providing jihadist militias with handheld surface tot air missiles to target Russian and Syrian aircraft, could be responded to by the deployment of more Russian combat jets to Hymemim Airbase in Syria to take part in the campaign.