MOSCOW. May 16 (Interfax-AVN) -Russia's Baltic, Northern, Pacific and Black Sea Fleets, as well as the Caspian flotilla, will make training voyages in the summer training period, Navy Chief-of- Staff Admiral Viktor Kravchenko told Interfax-Military News Agency on Thursday.
According to him, Russian combat vessels will visit several foreign ports during the voyages. "A unit of Black Sea Fleet combat vessels led by the Moskva missile cruiser will make a training voyage to the Mediterranean Sea," Kravchenko said.
He stressed that during the voyages the vessels will practice a set of artillery, torpedo and missile launches, plant and remove mines and accomplish other training and combat missions in accordance with the combat training plan for the summer period.
The Navy Command and Staff will pay main attention to the voyage of the Caspian flotilla. Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced missions of the flotilla in Astrakhan.
According to Putin, the flotilla is "an important factor of securing economic and political interests of Russia." The flotilla is in combat condition "but in the past 10 years we have had no chance to really check its combat capability." "That is why I consider it important to plan and hold a training voyage in this year's summer training period," Putin said. He tasked the flotilla to hold exercises in the northern and central parts of the Caspian Sea saying that the vessels should practice in close-to-combat conditions and maintain security rules. At the same time the president stressed that Russia should interact with Caspian Sea countries in key issues.
"This will be the first large-scale military exercise involving vessels and marines of the flotilla in the Caspian Sea over the past decade," Kravchenko stressed.
He added that the Navy Command would hear a report of the flotilla's commander Vice Admiral Vladimir Masorin in late May. Masorin will speak on the progress in preparation of vessels, combat equipment and personnel for the voyage.