MOSCOW, September 26 (Itar-Tass) - The Kil-158 lifting-and-mooring vessel of Russia's Black Sea Fleet (BSF) will call at Greek ports for business visits. Over there Russianseamen will participate in activities of the 12th International public forum on the theme of "Russian Week on Ionian Sea Islands" and ceremonies on the occasion of a regular anniversary of the Naval Battle of Navarra, Captain 1st Rank Vyacheslav Trukhachev, spokesman of the BSF, told Itar-Tass on Thursday.
"The vessel is expected to visit the islands of Corfu, Lefkas, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, as well as call at the ports of Pylos, Patras, and Piraeus. The Kil-158 is due to leave Sevasopol on September 29," Trukhachev said.
When touching upon the programme for the stay of the vessel at those ports, Trukhachev pointed out, "Musicians of the BSF Orchesttr and the Song and Dance Ensemble will be on board the vessel for taking part in the celebration performances".
"The safety of the vessel during the sea passagr and stay at the ports, will be ensured by servicemen of the BSF Separate Brigade of Marines," the Fleet spokesman emphasized, adding that "The BSF large landing ship, which was earlier planned to take part in the festive events during the voyage, was assigned other intended tasks".
The lifting-and-mooring vessel is freckoned an auxiliary craft during search-and-rescue and emergency operations at sea. It is designed to set up or remove boom-and-net barrage and roadstead equipment down to a depth of 300 metres. Shipboard engineer devices enable the vessel to moor by means of an anchor weighing up to 100 tonnes. The vessel can be also used for setting up and shoring of floating berths and floating docks, and ensuring firing from shipboard weapons. It is also capable of carrying a deepwater submersible to rescue the crews of sunken submarines.
The Kil-158 was built in 1989 at the Neptune shipyard at the German port of Rostock. On June 30 of the same year, the Naval Flag was hoisted on board and two months later it was made part of the Soviet Navy. On September 8, the Kil-158 arrived inSevastopol to join the brigade of support ships of the BSF. The crew consists of 44 members and can carry ten passengers.
Since 1990 the Kil-158 has been shippingh labelled cargoes, food and ammunition from the Caucasus, from Bulgaria, and from the Crimean naval base, and from Feodosiya and systematically performed operations to set up and remove roadstead equipment. In autum 1993, the vessel accomplished a special mission to deliver drilling equipment, various stores and sets of spare parts and tools to the Ageiran port of Annaba.
In spring 1998, the vessel carried out work to set up and remove roadstead equipment for ensuring Russo-Ukrainian joint exericise "Breeze-98" and in August 1999 the vessel took part in surfacing an emergency rescue ship that had sunk at the pier at the port of Novorossiisk. In 1998, 2001-2002, and 2002-2003, the Kil-158 was in the operational service at the Syrian port of Tartus.