ST. PETERSBURG. April 18 (Interfax-AVN) - The composition of the Russian naval force deployed in the Mediterranean will change before the end of April, a source from the Russian Navy Staff told Interfax-AVN on Friday.
"The Navy taskforce in the Mediterranean will undergo major transformations within the next few days. It will be much less significant by vessel class and tonnage and airborne component than it was at the beginning of this year. In addition to the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, which headed for the fleet base today, the nuclear-powered missile carrying cruiser Pyotr Veliky and the destroyer Admiral Levchenko will return to Severomorsk," the source said.
The Black Sea Fleet missile cruiser Moskva, which lingered on in the Black Sea over the Crimea crisis, will join the group shortly, he said.
The taskforce will also incorporate the North Fleet destroyer Severomorsk and the Pacific Fleet destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov, which together with the tanker Irkut and the rescue vessel Alatau will visit the Pakistani seaport of Karachi.
Traditionally, the taskforce will reshuffle its large landing ship component, the Navy Staff representative said. The large landing ship Korolyov will arrive from Baltiysk to replace the large landing ship Minsk and the Severomorsk-based Georgy Pobedonosets will be replaced by the Kondopoga.
The source explained the brief Mediterranean mission of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov with its technical condition. The ship has long been in need of extensive repairs.