SEVASTOPOL, March 05. /ITAR-TASS/. The Ukrainian Navy’s frigate The Hetman Sahaidachny has entered the port of Odessa. It carries NATO’s intelligence equipment, a source at the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s staff has told ITAR-TASS.
“At about 14:30 Moscow time (10:30 GMT) The Hetman Sahaidachny entered the port of Odessa. The commander had received orders from the Ukrainian Naval Command to avoid entering the port of Sevastopol. According to the available information when the ship was on a mission in the Gulf of Aden and in the Mediterranean, NATO’s intelligence and communication equipment was installed on it. The frigate would have been unable to use it in Sevastopol due to electronic jamming by Russia’s Black Sea Fleet,” the source said.
The source added that one of US Naval Forces destroyers planned to enter the Black Sea later this week.
Operation near Somalia shores
January 3, Hetman Sahaidachny with a Ka-27 helicopter and a special task unit joined the EU and US operations aimed at fighting piracy near the shores of Somalia (Atalanta and Ocean Shield). This mission was carried out in compliance with Ukrainian president’s decree and a bill adopted earlier by Ukraine’s parliament.
“The law stipulates sending of special contingent of troops of up to 250 servicemen for Ukraine’s participation in EU operation between January 3 and March 5, 2014,” the Defense Ministry’s press service reported then.
About Hetman Sahaidachny
Hetman Sahaidachny (before April 2, 1993, — Kirov) is a guard ship, according to modern classification — a frigate, currently the flagship of Ukraine’s Naval Forces.
October 5, 1990, it was laid down as Kirov at the Zaliv plant in Kerch upon the order of naval units of the USSR KGB Border Troops.
July 9, 1991, it has been included in lists of border guarding vessels, floated out March 29, 1992, and in June of the same year it was handed to Ukrainian Naval Forces and renamed.