2011 Syrian Civil War

Moma Class Intelligence Ship in the 2011 Syrian Civil War

Project 861M Moma-class ships supported Russia's Syria operations as naval intelligence and surveillance vessels, with Liman reported after a Syria-support deployment and Kildin later documented gathering intelligence off Tartus.

Weapon profileMoma class (Project 861M) intelligence ship
SideSyrian government and alliesRoleReconnaissance & SurveillanceElectronic Warfare
Moma class (Project 861M) intelligence ship, Signals intelligence ship class, Naval Systems - 2011 Syrian Civil War
Image source: Wikimedia Commons: SSV-416 "Jupiter" 1.jpg

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
Liman, a Russian signals-intelligence ship, supported Russian operations in and around Syria before its April 2017 sinking.

Sources: USNI Liman Syria Operations

Kildin was documented off Syria on 23 January 2025 and was reported as still gathering intelligence off Tartus after regaining control.

Sources: AP Kildin Off Syria

Kildin is a Project 861M Moma-class electronic-intelligence ship, and both Kildin and Liman are listed among Project 861M intelligence-ship conversions.

Sources: KCHF Kildin Project 861M, RussianShips Project 861

The documented Syria role is intelligence and surveillance support, not direct strike employment.

Sources: USNI Liman Syria Operations, AP Kildin Off Syria, KCHF Kildin Project 861M

Timeline

Moma class (Project 861M) intelligence ship In 2011 Syrian Civil War

  1. Tartus expansion agreement reported

    USNI News reported that Russia and Syria had agreed to expand Russia's Tartus naval facility and described it as a hub for Russian support to Bashar al-Assad.

    Sources: USNI Tartus Base Agreement

  2. Liman lost after Syria-support deployment

    USNI News reported that Liman sank near the Bosporus after recently returning from the Mediterranean, where it had supported Russian operations in and around Syria.

    Sources: USNI Liman Syria Operations

  3. Kildin documented off Tartus

    AP reported that Kildin caught fire and drifted off Syria, then remained stationed and gathering intelligence off the Syrian port of Tartus.

    Sources: AP Kildin Off Syria

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

Moma-class intelligence ships are documented in the Syrian Civil War as Russian naval intelligence and surveillance assets rather than strike platforms. USNI News reported that the signals-intelligence ship Liman had recently returned from the Mediterranean, where it supported Russian operations in and around Syria, before it sank after a collision near the Bosporus on 27 April 2017.

The same class remained visible around Syria in later reporting. The Associated Press reported that Kildin, a Russian spy ship carrying intelligence-gathering equipment, caught fire and drifted off the Syrian coast on 23 January 2025. AP also reported that military officials said the ship regained control and was still stationed and gathering intelligence off Tartus, accompanied by a frigate and a supply vessel.

Sources: USNI Liman Syria Operations, AP Kildin Off Syria

Timeline

The clearest dated public milestone is Liman's April 2017 loss, because USNI tied that incident to the ship's recent Mediterranean support for Russian operations in and around Syria. The report placed the intelligence ship in the broader Russian naval effort that supplied and supported Moscow's intervention from the sea.

On 23 January 2025, Kildin was documented off Syria when AP obtained radio audio, video, and photos of the ship after a fire. The report described Kildin as gathering intelligence on NATO activity in the Mediterranean and, after the incident, still gathering intelligence off Tartus.

Sources: USNI Liman Syria Operations, AP Kildin Off Syria

Narrative

The Moma-class role in Syria was maritime intelligence support. KCHF identifies Kildin as a Project 861M Moma-class electronic-intelligence ship converted from a survey vessel, while RussianShips.info lists Kildin and Liman among Project 861M medium intelligence ships. Those class references align with the conflict reporting that describes Liman as a signals-intelligence ship and Kildin as a spy ship packed with intelligence-gathering equipment.

The evidence supports surveillance, intelligence collection, and operational support around the Russian naval presence at Tartus. USNI separately reported in January 2017 that Russia and Syria had agreed to expand the Tartus naval facility and described the site as a key hub for Russian support to Bashar al-Assad. The Moma-class evidence does not show direct kinetic employment, missile launches, or shipboard weapons use in Syria.

Public sourcing is hull-specific rather than class-wide: Liman is tied to recent support for Russian operations in and around Syria, and Kildin is tied to intelligence gathering off Tartus. Together they establish the class's documented conflict use as Russian naval reconnaissance and electronic-intelligence support.

Sources: KCHF Kildin Project 861M, RussianShips Project 861, USNI Liman Syria Operations, AP Kildin Off Syria, USNI Tartus Base Agreement

Related Weapons by Role

Project 861M Moma-class intelligence ship, Electronic intelligence ship, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsProject 861M Moma-class intelligence shipElectronic intelligence shipProject 861M Moma-class intelligence ships were Soviet and Russian electronic-intelligence conversions of the Project 861 hydrographic survey design built at Stocznia Polnocna in Gdansk, Poland. Public ship references distinguish the base survey hulls from 861M intelligence conversions fitted with ESM, sonar, communications, and Strela self-defense equipment, while USNI documents Liman and Kil'din monitoring NATO actions in Kosovo from the Adriatic during Operation Allied Force.
Vishnya class (Project 864) intelligence ship, Signals intelligence collection ship class, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsVishnya class (Project 864) intelligence shipSignals intelligence collection ship classThe Vishnya class (Project 864), also known as the Meridian class, is a Soviet-designed signals intelligence collection ship class built in Poland for the Soviet and later Russian Navy. The ships are purpose-built SIGINT and COMINT collectors with satellite-link antennas, sonar, and short-range self-defense weapons; documented wartime employment includes Russian deployments around Syria and Priazovye's 2023 Black Sea pipeline-security mission during the Russia-Ukraine War.
Project 773 Polnocny-C landing ship, Medium landing ship, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsProject 773 Polnocny-C landing shipMedium landing shipThe Project 773 Polnocny-C is a Polish-built Soviet medium landing ship design, larger than earlier Polnocny variants and fitted for beach delivery of troops, armored vehicles, or cargo with onboard rocket and gun armament. The class is represented in the Russia-Ukraine War through Ukraine's Yuri Olefirenko, the former SDK-137/Kirovohrad, whose survival after early capture claims, 2022 activity near Ochakiv, and disputed 2023 loss claim made it one of the most visible Ukrainian Navy surface ships.
Balzam class (Project 1826) intelligence ship, Intelligence collection ship, Naval SystemsNaval SystemsBalzam class (Project 1826) intelligence shipIntelligence collection shipBalzam class, also reported as Project 1826 Rubidiy and NATO Balzam, is a Soviet intelligence-collection ship class built by Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad for SIGINT and communications interception. Open-source class metadata places it between the earlier Primor'ye surveillance ships and the later Vishnya intelligence ship family, with four hulls completed from 1980 to 1987 and a defensive fit that included Strela-2 launchers and AK-630 close-in weapons.
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Sources