SEVASTOPOL. June 3 (Interfax-AVN) - A group of Black Sea Fleet ships will make a voyage to the Mediterranean Sea for the first time in the past decade.
The group will be made up of the missile cruiser Moskva, which is the Black Sea Fleet flagship, the patrol ship Pytlivy and the large tank Ivan Bubnov, Black Sea Fleet Commander Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov said on Monday when visiting the 30th navy division, stationed in Sevastopol.
"Such a voyage to the Mediterranean Sea became possible thanks to improved financing of combat training at the fleet," Komoyedov stressed. "Earlier, when the funds were primarily allocated for the fleet's maintenance, only single ships could be dispatched on long- term voyages," he said.
The day for starting the voyage has not been set, sources in the Black Sea Fleet staff told Interfax-Military News Agency. "It is only known that the voyage will be made in August, main missions that the ships will be accomplish en route and in the Mediterranean are known as well," a source said. "They will conduct a series of exercises within the detachment and a few joint exercises with vessels of the countries to whose ports the Russian ships will make friendly visits," he noted.
In particular, the Moskva, Pytlivy and Ivan Bubnov are expected to practice joint maneuvering together with French Navy vessels. They will practice organization of communication as well, the source said.