Russia is sending a new flotilla of warships to the Mediterranean, the defence ministry said on Tuesday, amid the escalating situation in Syria.

The frigate Yaroslavl Mudry, the landing ships Kaliningrad and Alexander Shabalin as well as two other vessels have left their home port of Baltiysk on the Baltic and are heading for the Mediterranean, the defence ministry said in a statement quoted by Russian news agencies.

It said the Baltic Fleet flotilla would be replacing a flotilla already in place from the Black Sea Fleet and would carry out training manoeuvres.

The statement did not mention Syria but military sources have previously told the Interfax news agency that Russian naval ships could be used to evacuate the thousands of Russian citizens still in Syria in case the situation in the country worsens.