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Russian Northern Fleet forces take part in Barents-2016 joint drills with Norway

The drills are held in the area of the Varanger Fjord bay in the Barents Sea
Kamov Ka-27 helicopter ITAR-TASS/Igor Zarembo
Kamov Ka-27 helicopter
© ITAR-TASS/Igor Zarembo

MURMANSK, June 1. /TASS/. The search and rescue support forces of Russia’s Northern Fleet are taking part in the active phase of the Russian-Norwegian exercise Barents-2016, the fleet’s press service told journalists on Wednesday.

The manoeuvers are aimed at drilling search and rescue for the distressed at sea and prevention of contamination of the sea area with petroleum products, the fleet said.

"Taking part in the exercise from the Northern Fleet are the Pamir search and rescue tug, the Ilyushin Il-39 plane and the Kamov Ka-27 search and rescue helicopter," the press service said. Also, a number of Russian organizations, including the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) border guard department for the Murmansk region, are involved in the manoeuvers.

Norway is represented at the exercise by ships, boats and planes of the coastal administration, the Coast Guard of the Naval Forces and the Air Force patrol aviation, as well as by other organizations. This year the Barents manoeuvers are conducted under the command of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of Northern Norway. The drills are held in the area of the Varanger Fjord bay in the Barents Sea.

The Barents drills are held in the Arctic annually in accordance with the Russian-Norwegian 1995 intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in search and rescue of people suffering distress in the Barents Sea and the 1994 Agreement on Oil Spill Response in the Barents Sea.

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