SEVASTOPOL. April 10 (Interfax-AVN) - A Black Sea Fleet vessel detachment left the outer roadstead of Sevastopol and headed for the Indian Ocean on Thursday.
"The detachment that left for a long voyage today comprises the Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva, Pytlivy and Smetkivy guard ships, and Tsezar Kunikov large landing craft," a high-ranking official of the fleet headquarters told Interfax-Military News Agency.
Deputy commander of the fleet Vice Admiral Yevgeny Orlov supervises the voyage.
Auxiliary vessels of the fleet left the Black Sea Fleet main base on Sunday. These include the Ivan Bubnov tanker and the Shakhter rescue tug. They have already passed the Bosphorus and Dardanelles.
The entire detachment will have passed the straits.
A Pacific Fleet detachment comprising the Marshal Shaposhnikov and Admiral Panteleyev large anti-submarine craft and the Vladimir Kolechitsky tanker left Vladivostok on Sunday.
The two detachments will meet near the Sokotra Island in the Indian Ocean.
Russian Navy vessels will hold an exercise together with the Indian Navy in May.