MOSCOW. Feb 22 (Interfax) - The Russian Northern Fleet's combat ships and submarines, which took part in recent maneuvers and a missile exercise in the Barents Sea, have returned to their permanent bases, the fleet said on Tuesday.
"The Admiral Gorshkov frigate, which successfully carried out missile launches on coastal and sea targets, was one of the last ships to arrive at the base," the fleet said.
The Northern Fleet's flagship, the Pyotr Veliky heavy nuclear-powered cruiser, the Severomorsk large anti-submarine ship and the Alexander Otrakovsky large landing ship, which fired artillery weapons at sea and airborne targets during the maneuvers in the Barents Sea, have returned to the base as well, it said.
"The crews of all ships and submarines of the Northern Fleet have begun preparations to celebrate Defender of the Fatherland Day," it said.
On January 20, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the start of a series of naval maneuvers involving over 140 ships and vessels and more than 10,000 troops. The exercises, overseen by Russian Navy Commander Nikolai Yevmenov, are taking place in waters of the seas abutting Russia's territory and in strategic parts of the World Ocean, including the Mediterranean, North and Okhotsk Seas, the Atlantic Northeast and Pacific Ocean, the military said.