Russian naval ships arrive in Syria's Tartus port as part of large-scale drills

Russian naval ships arrived in the Syrian port of Tartus on Friday as part of large-scale drills, Moscow has said.

The six ships, from the Northern and Baltic fleet, arrived at the Mediterranean port to replenish fuel, drinking water and food stocks after completing a transit around Europe, the Russian defence ministry said.

The drill is part of the Russian military's 2022 training for all naval fleets, the ministry added.

The drills come as tensions between Moscow and Washington mount over Russia's build-up of troops at its border with Ukraine.

Damascus agreed in 2017 to lease the port to Russia, a key ally of the Syrian regime, for 49 years.

Tartus - Russia's only base in the Mediterranean - is mostly used to deliver supplies to its mission in Syria, and to repair its warships.

A Russian official suggested in December that the port could be used to station Russia's new Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles.