USS Donald Cook brings Tomahawk missiles next to Russian base in Syria's Tartus

USS Donald Cook (DDG-75), equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, as well as the Aegis missile defence system, approached the port of Tartus in Syria. The port of Tartus is the location for the logistics base of the Russian Navy. The US destroyer is currently at a distance of 100 km from the port, CNN Turk reports.

The destroyer left the Cypriot port of Larnaka and headed to the shores of Syria. Russian warplanes circled above the US warship four times.

Chairman of the State Duma Defence Committee Vladimir Shamanov said that the United States did not notify Russia of the approach of the group of US warships to the Russian naval base in Tartus.

"A group of ships of the US Navy has appeared at a distance of 150 miles from the Tartus region. It is common in international practice potential participants of events in the area should be notified accordingly in advance. We have not been notified, although we had legally ratified the agreement on two bases in Tartus and Khmeymim," the official said.

"Moreover, US President Donald Trump said that he would think about the missile attack on Syria despite any resolutions at the UN Security Council. All this smells of something are outside the framework of universally recognised international norms," Shamanov said.

Earlier, Russia's Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzia said that the Americans would have to deal with  "serious consequences" should they attack Syria.

"We have repeatedly warned the American side about highly negative consequences that may follow if they apply weapons against the legitimate Syrian government, and especially if the use of these weapons - God forbid, affects our military men, who legally stay in Syria," the Russian Ambassador to the UN said at a meeting of the UN Security Council.

Pravda.Ru

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