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Russia's Pacific Fleet naval squadron to return to Vladivostok

VLADIVOSTOK, December 25, /ITAR-TASS/. Five ships of Russia's Pacific Fleet (PF) is due to return here on Wednesday after drawing duty in the Mediterranean Sea. The squadron, led by the large anti-submarine ship Admiral Panteleyev, includes the amphibious ships Admiral Nevelskoy and Peresvet, the ocean-going rescue boat Fotiy Krylov and the tanker Pechenga, the PF press service reported.

The squadron had left Vladivostok on March 19, 2013. Over the ensuing nine months the ships made passages across the Pacific and Indian Oceans, visited the the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Aden, the Mediterranean, Marmara, Black, Arabian, and Red Seas.

During the long voyage, the Admiral Panteleyev and ships of the squadron called at a record-high number of times at the ports of various countries for visits: Singapore, Bur Safara (Egypt), Bandar Abbas (Iran), Salala (Oman), Limassol (Republic of Cyprus), Colombo (Sri Lanka), and also made an inter-fleet passage to the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk. The lates visit to a foreign country by the PF's largest naval squadron was made on December 3-6 to the port of Singapore where the PF navymen marked the bi-centenary of the birth of renowned Russian Admiral Gennady Nevelskoy.

A cereemony to welcome the ships home will take place in the Zolotoi Rog (Golden Horn) Gulf at the very center of Vladivostok where the PF headquarters are located.

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