Special to WorldTribune.com

MOSCOW — Russia decided to evacuate non-essential staffers ahead of any U.S. air campaign against Syria.

Russia has never disclosed the extent of its community in Syria. Diplomats said those working for the Syrian military and government could exceed 12,000.

Russian officials said the military had been ordered to sent ships and aircraft to evacuate staffers before President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to place Syrian chemical weapons under international supervision which might avert the U.S. offensive.

They said at least three ships were heading toward Syria and expected to reach the port of Tartous by Sept. 13.

“This a legitimate, natural and predictable reaction to the developing situation,” Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said.

Officials said the Navy has sent the Moskva missile cruiser to the Mediterranean. They said Moskva would join the naval task force, which includes a destroyer and frigate from the Baltic and Black Sea fleets.

“Our warships are a guarantee of regional stability, an attempt to restrain other forces that are ready to launch military operations in the region,” Antonov said.

Officials said another two ships were also being sent to Syria. They were identified as the Kashin-class guided missile destroyer Smetlivy, scheduled to leave the Black Sea on Sept. 12, and the Priazovye electronic intelligence surface vessel.

The state-owned RIA-Novosti quoted a senior navy officer as saying that two additional ships were also being prepared for deployment in the eastern Mediterranean. The unidentified officer said this included Minsk and Novocherkassk, both described as large amphibious landing ships.

“Above all, given the presence there of amphibious landing ships, they are intended for a possible evacuation of Russian citizens,” Kremlin chief of staff Sergei Ivanov said.

So far, the Russian government has reported the evacuation of fewer than 1,000 Russian and former Soviet nationals in 2013. On Sept. 8, a Russian government aircraft landed in Syria to collect Russian nationals.

“An Il-76 plane took off for Latakia on Sunday morning,” Irena Rossius, a spokeswoman for the Russian Emergency Situation Ministry, said. “The plane will carry both Russians and citizens of the Commonwealth of Independent States from Syria.”

  Anatoly Antonov, Baltic and Black Sea fleet, Russia sends ships to evacuate its citizens from Syria, Sergei Ivanov, Tartous