Detachment of Russian warships arrives in Inchon

On Tuesday a detachment of Russian Pacific Fleet (TOF) warships from Vladivostok (the Far East) arrived in the South Korean port of Inchon on an official friendly visit.

The TOF press center reported on Tuesday that the detachment includes the Varyag Guards missile cruiser, the Admiral Tributs large antisubmarine ship (a missile frigate according to NATO classification), and the Koreyets small antisubmarine ship.

The official friendly visit under the flag of Admiral Viktor Fedorov, the commander of the Pacific Fleet, will last from February 10 to February 14. It is devoted to the 100th anniversary of the heroic loss of the Varyag cruiser and the Koreyets gunboat in an unequal naval action during the Russian-Japanese war of 1904-1905.

When the detachment arrived in the South Korean port of Inchon, a wreath was sunk where the two Russian warships fought an entire Japanese squadron 100 years ago, and a memorial for the dead heroes was held.

In the naval encounter not far from the Korean port of Chemulpo (now Inchon) the two Russian ships fought a Japanese heavy cruiser, five light cruisers and eight destroyers. The Varyag cruiser, which was badly damaged and lost 122 sailors, and the Koreyets gunboat returned to Chemulpo port and were sunk. The Russian sailors who survived the battle returned to Russia through neutral ports.

A joint Russian-South Korean naval exercise in communication, maneuvering and assisting ships in distress will be held after the end of the visit of the TOF detachment of warships to Inchon.