Black Sea fleet's battleships return home from mediterranean campaign

A squadron of Russia's Black Sea Fleet consisting of three battleships and two tankers has accomplished its Mediterranean campaign, which lasted more than a month, and returned to Sevastopol.

Vice-Admiral Vladimir Masorin, the Commander of the Fleet, said the campaign was a success, reported the press service of the Black Sea Fleet. He also said such visits to far abroad would be paid more often.

The guided-missile cruiser Moskva and the accompanying escort ship Pytlivy a paid visit to the French Navy base in Toulon, with a call on the Syrian port of Lattakia. The crews of these ships and the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle held joint exercises in the Mediterranean to drill establishment of communication and organization of air defence.

The Yamal, a capital landing ship of the Black Sea Fleet, paid a visit to the Greek port of Corfu with a call on the Croatian port of Split. In Corfu, the crew attended the Days of Memory and the unveiling of a memorial to the legendary Russian naval commander Fyodor Ushakov (1745-1817), who organized a Mediterranean campaign of the Russian Fleet during the war against France of 1798-1800.