Russia's Interfax news agency says four Russian ships are on their way to the eastern Mediterranean.



The report on September 6 said two large landing ships and a reconnaissance ship had passed through the Dardanelles Strait entering the eastern Mediterranean.



It said a third landing ship had left the Black Sea port of Sevastopol and would sail toward the eastern Mediterranean after picking up a "special cargo" in Novorossiisk.



Kremlin chief of staff Sergei Ivanov said on September 5 that Russia was boosting its naval presence in the Mediterranean, "primarily" to organize a possible evacuation of Russians from Syria. It is unclear how many ships Russia has there.



The United States already has a strong naval presence in the region ahead of possible U.S. military strikes in Syria following a suspected chemical-weapons attack.



Based on reporting by Interfax and AP