Missiles launched in Mediterranean towards Syrian coast, claims Russian defence ministry

Russia has claimed that its missile early warning system has detected the launch of two missiles from the central part of the Mediterranean Sea fired towards the Sea's eastern coastline.

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (above) and four other ships in its strike group moved into the Red Sea on Monday Photo: Reuters

 

Roland Oliphant in Moscow

The launches took place at 10:16 am Moscow time (0616 GMT) and were detected by the ballistic missile early warning system in Armavir in southern Russia, the defence ministry said in a statement quoted by Russian news agencies. 

Shortly after 11am, Israel announced that it had carried out a joint missile test with the US in the Mediterranean, using a missile designed to shoot down incoming missiles.

Russia's state-owned RIA Novosti news agency said both missiles then crashed into the sea, citing a source in Damascus. 

 

The Russian embassy in Syria said there was no sign of a missile attack or of explosions in Damascus. The Ministry of Defence in London confirmed that the missiles were not British.

In a sign of the tenions in the region, reports of missiles being fired had an instant effect on markets. The FTSE 100 fell as much as 0.8pc to 6,456.95 and the price of Brent crude, which has risen in recent days on Middle East concerns, spiked as much as 1.2pc to $115.74 a barrel this morning. It reached a six-month high of $117.34 on Wednesday

Russia had earlier criticised the United States on Tuesday for sending warships close to Syria, saying the deployments would exacerbate tension as Washington prepares for a possible military strike.
"The pressure being applied by the United States causes particular concern," Russian Defence Ministry official Oleg Dogayev was quoted as saying by the state-run Itar-Tass news agency.
He said "the dispatch of ships armed with cruise missiles toward Syria's shores has a negative effect on the situation in the region." 

Five US destroyers and an amphibious ship are in the Mediterranean, poised for possible cruise missile strikes against Syria, and American officials said the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and four other ships in its strike group moved into the Red Sea on Monday. 

Russia, one of the Syrian government's main arms suppliers, opposes military intervention over an alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria. Moscow is also sending new warships to the Mediterranean but says it is just rotating ships in the area. 

Edited by David Wastell

 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10282788/Missiles-launched-in-Mediterranean-towards-Syrian-coast-claims-Russian-defence-ministry.html#