MOSCOW. April 9 (Interfax-AVN) - A new phase of the Blackseafor international naval exercises started at the Romanian port of Constanta on Friday, Russian Black Sea Fleet spokesman Captain 1st Rank Vyacheslav Trukhachyov told Interfax-AVN on Friday.
"Planned spring activation of the Black Sea Naval Force (Blackseafor) started in Romania's Constanta. Since last August, Captain 1st Rank Yury Zemsky of the Russian Navy has commanded the international unit's activities," Trukhachyov said.
The Blackseafor's flagship is the Russian Black Sea Fleet's landing ship Tsezar Kunikov. Also involved in the activation are the Bulgarian Navy's corvette Reshitelni, the Romanian Navy corvette Sebastian, the Turkish frigate Yavuz, and the Ukrainian Navy's minesweeper Cherkasy, he said.
During a stay at the port, which will last until April 10, the ships' crews will undergo training in maritime practice and search procedures at a Romanian Navy training center, he said.
The Black Sea Naval Force (Blackseafor) was set up in 2001. It includes six warships, with each Black Sea country (Turkey, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Georgia) delegating one.
The group is tasked with conducting joint search and rescue exercises, mine-clearing, humanitarian and environment protection operations, and paying goodwill visits.