Russian fighters operating from Syria. TASS Photo
Russia is set to start withdrawing troops from Syria as early as Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday. Read More
A screengrab of an Islamic State propaganda video of militants in Nawfaliyah, Libya in 2015. Image via The Long War Journal
At the Surface Warship Summit in Bucharest, Romania, from Jan. 26 to 28, the commander of NATO’s Allied Maritime Command, Vice Adm. Clive Johnstone expressed concerns regarding several escalating situations in the Mediterranean. Read More
A Russian Su-24 Fencer shortly after its was shot down by a Turkish F-16 on Nov. 24, 2015.
The ongoing conflict in Syria took a turn Tuesday when a Turkish Lockheed Martin F-16 reportedly shot down a Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer fighter-bomber. The Fencer’s large weapon-payload capacity has made it a favorite for Russian forces supporting their ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria. The aircraft lost today reportedly was bombing targets near the Turkish border. Read More
Russian cruiser Moscow.
A Black Sea-based Russian surface action group scrambled to the Eastern Mediterranean —under the guise of drilling in the region — are likely there to provide an air defense bubble to protect Russian fighters striking targets in Syria, according to a Russian press report. Read More
Russian ship Moscow in 2009.
Several Russian warships are bound for the Eastern Mediterranean for high-end exercises, according to a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defence. Read More
USS Porter (DDG-78) off the coast of Bulgaria on July 6, 2015. US Navy Photo
Guided missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG-78) entered the Black Sea on Sunday — following three other NATO ships in the last several days — marking a noticeable uptick in activity in the region ahead of military exercises in Bulgaria, according to a Bosphorus Naval News ship spotting site and U.S. 6th Fleet. Read More
Chinese frigate Weifang leaves the Black Sea on May 14, 2015. Photo by Yörük Işık
On Thursday, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) frigates Linyi and Weifang left the Black Sea along with a Russian Navy guided missile corvette to begin the first ever round of Chinese and Russian naval exercises in the Mediterranean. Read More
An aircraft believed to be an Iranian F-4 Phantom II operating over eastern Iraq. Al Jazerra image.
This post has been amended from a previous version to include additional information from U.S. Central Command.
Iran is denying it has flown airstrikes in Iraq targeting Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS or ISIL) despite Pentagon claims at least some Iranian strikes in Iraq have occurred. Read More
Undated photo of a Peshmerga fighter.
Many are asking why the Turks are not doing more to enable the Kurds and their feared Peshmerga forces to more effectively attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS or ISIL) military forces. Surely the Turks see this through the ancient ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend” lens? Read More
USS Ross pierside in Istanbul, Turkey. US Navy Photo
The guided missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG-71) has departed Istanbul bound for its homeport after completing operations in the Black Sea, Navy officials told USNI News on Thursday. Read More
