MOSCOW, September 11. /TASS/. A group of warships and support vessels from the Northern Fleet has passed through the narrowest part of the Vilkitsky Strait and entered the Laptev Sea, Fleet spokesman Vadim Serga told TASS on Thursday.
"The ships and vessels are following the nuclear icebreaker Yamal," he added.
The large antisubmarine ship Severomorsk and the large amphibious assault vessels Kondopoga and Georgy Pobedonosets are going straight after the icebreaker, followed by support vessels Alexander Pushkin, KIL-162, the rescue tugboat Pamir and the sea tanker Sergei Osipov.
As the warships were preparing for crossing the Matisen Strait, a Kamov Ka-27 (NATO reporting name: Helix) helicopter based on the Severomorsk conducted ice reconnaissance.
After passing along the northern tip of the Taimyr Peninsula, the Yamal’s pilotage will be completed. Then the Northern Fleet’s warships and support vessels will continue their voyage without the icebreaker.