KALININGRAD, November 25. /TASS/. In 2017, Russia’s Baltic Fleet will take part in the West-2017 naval drills and joint Russian-Chinese international exercises, Baltic Fleet Spokesman Roman Martov told TASS.
"The Baltic Fleet has an intense training program for the next year which will include naval, field and flight exercises. In the second half of 2017 the fleet will participate in the large-scale West-2017 naval exercises as well as joint drills involving other countries, including the Russian-Chinese naval drills," Martov elaborated.
This year the Baltic Fleet ships have carried out eight missions in the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, the North Sea, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. They have paid visits to the ports of Spain, Greece, the Sultanate of Oman, Malta, Cyprus and Djibouti. Besides, the Baltic Fleet ships visited ports of Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago for the first time ever, the fleet spokesman noted.
"According to a preliminary plan, in 2017, the Baltic Fleet ships will carry out no less than ten long-distance missions," Roman Martov added.
He also said that at preset Russia’s frigate Yaroslav Mudry was on a mission in the Caribbean Sea while the Alexander Shabalin and Korolyov landing ships have been deployed to the Mediterranean Sea.