MOSCOW/ST.PETERSBURG. July 23 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Defense Minister will embark on a five-day working trip through units of the Leningrad military district and Northern Fleet on Wednesday, the Defense Ministry press service reported.
"The aim of the trip is to study the situation and arrangement of combat training in the Leningrad military district and Northern Fleet during the summer training period. Moreover, at the final stage of the trip Ivanov will attend celebrations of Navy Day and the 70th anniversary of the Northern Fleet's establishment," the report reads.
A source in the Leningrad military district headquarters told Interfax-Military News Agency that Ivanov will meet with the management of the Rubin naval design bureau during the trip to discuss construction of nuclear submarines.
The source noted that visits to the Military Medical Academy and the 20th detached motorized rifle brigade of the Leningrad military district are also on Ivanov's agenda.
While visiting the town of Severomorsk, the minister will hear reports of the Northern Fleet command and high-ranking Defense Ministry officials on problems of the fleet's infrastructure development. While in the Murmansk region, Ivanov will study the base area of a submarine squadron and the Voronezh nuclear submarine (Project 949a).
In the Polyarny garrison on the Kola Peninsula, Ivanov will attend the opening the Sea Soul memorial timed to Navy Day and the 70th anniversary of the Northern Fleet's establishment.
Celebrations of Navy Day and the fleet's anniversary will also take place in Severomorsk, where the minister will visit the Pyotr Veliky heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser.
Before returning to Moscow on July 28, Ivanov will hold working meetings with President Vladimir Putin's envoy to the Northwestern federal district Valentina Matviyenko and high- ranking officials of northwestern Russian regions.