Russia sent three warships to the eastern Mediterranean Sea by the Syrian coast in case Russian citizens needed to be evacuated from the embattled area.
The Agence France Presse reported seeing SSV-201 intelligence ship Priazovye, along with two landing ships Minsk and Novocherkassk cross Turkey's Bosphorus Strait on Thursday.
A military official told Interfax news service that Priazovye sailed from Sevastopol in Ukraine on Sunday "to the appointed region of military service in the eastern Mediterranean."
According to the Associated Press, Russian news services reported Kremlin Chief of Staff Sergei Ivanov claimed Russia upped its marine presence "primarily" to aid in the evacuation of Russian citizens from Damascus.
Russia, one Syria's key allies, has kept about four warships in the eastern Mediterranean continuously since the situation in Damascus escalated in the recent past. Every few months, they'll rotate a few ships out for others.
Governmental leaders in Moscow have staunchly opposed U.S. plans to execute military action in Syria. The recent addition of warships in the area has stoked fears that an enormous international issue could stem from the Senate committee-backed resolution to strike Syria.
Meanwhile, at today's G-20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the press that America should hold off on any military action until a full report by U.N. chemical weapons inspectors is received.
Russia insisted that Washington did not have enough evidence to prove Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gave orders to use chemical weapons against his citizens.
