MOSCOW, June 3. /TASS/. The Caspian Flotilla’s cruise missile corvette Veliky Ustyug has made its second transition over the period of its service from the Caspian to the Black Sea, a source in the Crimean defense circles told TASS on Monday.

"The small missile ship Veliky Ustyug has made a transition through internal waterways and is currently in Sevastopol, the source said.

Like in 2018, the missile corvette Veliky Ustyug may sail to the Mediterranean Sea, the source said.

In 2018, two missile corvettes of Russia’s Caspian Flotilla, the Veliky Ustyug and the Grad Sviyazhsk, operated as part of Russia’s Mediterranean taskforce for some time.

In 2015, the missile corvette Veliky Ustyug delivered cruise missiles strikes twice together with Caspian Flotilla other missile ships against terrorist targets in Syria from the Caspian Sea.

The missile corvette Veliky Ustyug is the Project 21631 third (second serial-produced) warship. It is armed with the standardized shipborne missile system consisting of eight Kalibr-NK cruise missiles.

The Soviet Navy’s 5th Mediterranean Squadron served as a prototype for the Russian Navy’s permanent Mediterranean taskforce operating at present. The 5th operational Soviet Squadron dealt with the tasks of naval presence in the Mediterranean theater of operations during the Cold War period.

Its main rival was the US Navy’s 6th Fleet. The Soviet Squadron was disbanded on December 31, 1992, a year after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

As it emerged in 2013, Russia was creating a new operational Mediterranean taskforce in its modern history. Russia’s new permanent taskforce is dealing with planned and emergency combat missions arising in the Mediterranean theater of operations, including warding off threats for Russia’s national and military security.