Russia is building a new base of the Caspian flotilla near the borders with Azerbaijan

Moscow / 09.10.17 / Turan: The Russian Defense Ministry has started construction of a new naval base in the Caspian Sea, which will accommodate all the flotilla missile ships, and will ensure their rapid deployment, Izvestia reported.

After completion of the work, the facility will be even more advanced than those the Navy has in the North, the Baltic or the Black Sea. As noted by experts, the new base will become an important element of the Russian military-political strategy in the Caspian region and the Middle East.

According to sources in the Ministry of Defense, the construction of the base will be completed by 2020, the military department plans to complete the construction of a military port in Kaspiisk (Dagestan), which will become the main naval base in the Caspian.

According to the project, not only the port, but also storage for ammunition, a hospital, barracks for military personnel and housing for officers should be built.

During the first stage of the work (it should last until 2019), it is planned to carry out dredging, to build a mooring front and corresponding ground infrastructure facilities.

The head of the Institute of Caspian Cooperation, Sergei Mikheev, told Izvestia that the strengthening of the Russian military capabilities in the region can be explained by a set of economic and geopolitical reasons.

"This region is more interested in the third countries, it is rich in oil and gas." In addition, an alternative energy corridor from Central Asia to the West through the post-Soviet Transcaucasus can pass through it, but Russia and Iran are against it," Mikheyev said, noting that the Caspian is located close to the region of the Middle East and Central Asia.

"As the operation in Syria showed, the Caspian Sea is a safe launching pad for cruise missiles." And this water area itself is inaccessible to potential opponents and fleets of third countries," he said.

At present, the Caspian Flotilla includes missile ships of the most modern projects. 11661K "Tatarstan" and "Dagestan", small missile ships of the project 21631 "Grad Sviyazhsk", "Uglich", "Great Ustyug", missile boat of the project 12411 "Stupinets".

The 73rd Guards Brigade of ships protecting the water area, the 727th Guards Marine Battalion, a group of supply vessels and a detachment of rescue vessels will also move to Kaspiisk.

Thus, Russia is building the newest naval base for missile ships only 130 km. from the border with Azerbaijan and 300 km. from Baku. -02D-