Caspian Report - Issue 06 - Winter 2014

derstanding on cooperation in the energy
sphere after a meeting between
Russian Energy Minister Alexander
Novak and his Lebanese counterpart
Gebran Bassil. The Russian firms are
among the 46 international oil companies
which were selected to bid for
exploring gas offshore and estimated
to have spent over $120 million on
the bids already. The tender includes
10 hydrocarbon-rich blocks off the
Lebanese coast. US energy experts
estimated about 1.7 billion barrels
of undiscovered oil and 122 trillion
cubic feet of gas resources in the deployed
reserves in Levant Basin that
Russia focused on very carefully to
discriminate against other candidate
actors in the Mediterranean basin. All
these events also negatively affects
and results in seeing the red lights
for Israel’s new energy projects in the
region.
Secondly, Putin administration is
planning to deploy its warships in
the Mediterranean Sea on a permanent
basis. Admiral of the Fleet Viktor
Chirkov said that “Russia will be
building up its Mediterranean fleet
until it is deemed sufficient to perform
the task set.” Within the structure
of the Mediterranean task force
unit, Russia intends to have about a
dozen ships and submarines. Russia
has launched its new state-of-the-art
advanced stealth technology, making
it virtually undetectable when
submerged Varshavyanka-class
submarine, which set sail from a St
Petersburg shipyard to become the
first of six diesel-electric stealth subs
delivered to the Russian Black Sea
fleet. In addition, Mistral helicopter
carriers that Russia purchased from
France can also be involved in the
project. Russia’s missile-carrying
cruiser “Moskva”, ‘aircraft carrier
OF COURSE TURNING THE RUSSIAN NAVAL FLEET BACK
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA COULD STRATEGICALLY
ACT AS A DETERRENT TO NATO FORCES AND INCREASE
RUSSIA’S LEVERAGE.
killer’ “Varyag” and battle cruiser
“Pyotr Veliky” deployed in autumn
2013 in Mediterranean waters.
Of course turning the Russian naval
fleet back in the Mediterranean Sea
could strategically act as a deterrent
to NATO forces and increase Russia’s
leverage. Russia is deepening its military
collaboration, including arms
sales, with several countries along
the southern rim of the Mediterranean.
In this context, USSR was Syria’s
practically only supplier of weapons,
selling the country arms worth more
than 34 billion USD since the end of
the Second World War. In 2006, Syria
received 200 Igla air defense missiles,
anti-ship missiles, advanced fighter
aircraft, such as MiG-31s and MiG-
29s. However, after 9/11 attacks and
pirates in Somalia, Russia has participated
in NATO’s anti-terror operation,
Operation Active Endeavour. In terms
of trade protection, reports suggest
that, with Russia reliant on sea lines
of communication for the delivery of
up to 60% of its foreign trade, maritime
piracy could be as large an issue
for Russia as for Western states. Russia
has also shown growing interest
in acquiring military hardware from
Israel, in particular unmanned spy
planes, given Israel’s leading technology
in this area. Russia has started
fulfilling its recent arms exports contract
with Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister
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CASPIAN REPORT, WINTER 2014