Russian conducts anti-submarine maneuvers in Mediterranean
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Russian military says it has conducted an exercise that involved anti-submarine aircraft flying missions over the eastern Mediterranean.
Russia's Defense Ministry said Thursday the Tu-142 aircraft took off from an air base in Russia and flew to the southeastern part of the Mediterranean Sea under the escort of the Su-30 fighter jets. It said the crews practiced searching for enemy submarines.
The ministry said the aircraft cooperated with the Russian navy ships deployed to the eastern Mediterranean.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Russia has conducted an air campaign in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government since September 2015, turning the tide of the conflict in its favor. It also has kept a rotating group of warships near Syria's shores to support the air campaign.