A notice to airmen (Notam) has been issued regarding a planned Russian naval exercise which is to take place off the coast of Cyprus, between the island’s east coast and the Russian-operated Tartus naval base, which is located on Syria’s Mediterranean coast.

It states that information has been received from the Russian authorities that a naval exercise “with firing” will be taking place on various dates throughout April between 5am and 3pm, and that as such, “this area is dangerous for navigation”.

A Notam is a notice containing information which is essential for personnel concerned with flight operations.

Russia, and its predecessor the Soviet Union, has operated the Tartus naval base since 1971, and maintains a presence there, despite some commentators believing that after the fall of the regime led by Bashar al-Assad in 2024, the country would withdraw from the base.

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While Russian ships are typically no longer berthed in Tartus, the base maintains under Russian operation, and when Russian President Vladimir Putin met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in October last year, the latter said that “we respect all agreements made” with Russia.

This was taken to infer that Russia will continue to operate the Tartus naval base, as well as the nearby Khmeimim airbase.

The issuing of the Russian Notam comes weeks after a back-and-forth of Notams issued by the island’s two sides regarding military activities carried out by Turkey and the United States in recent weeks.

Those Notams will remain in force until Sunday and cover the skies above and surrounding the north’s Ercan (Tymbou) airport, and the skies off the coast of the Karpas peninsula.

The first was issued by the Cypriot civil aviation authority, with sources telling the Cyprus Mail at the time that it had been requested by “the Americans”.

This irked the Turkish Cypriot authorities, who then issued their own Notam, advising “all aircraft in the region” to “take maximum precautions to ensure flight safety, carefully follow the published aeronautical information, and act in coordination with the relevant air traffic units”.

Later, Turkish defence ministry spokesman rear admiral Zeki Akturk declared the initial Notam to be “null and void”, saying that the Turkish Cypriot authorities had issued a “counter-Notam” which “invalidated the aforementioned Notam”.

The Turkish Cypriot authorities then issued a Notam regarding Ercan (Tymbou) airport, with F-16 fighter jets having taken off from the airport since then.

Meanwhile, what appeared to be missile fire was spotted off the coast of the Karpas peninsula village of Platanissos last month, with the Turkish government stressing that no firing exercises had taken place in Cypriot waters.