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Russian Baltic Fleet repair ship completes Mediterranean mission

From November 2019, the PM-82 vessel provided maintenance for the Russian Navy’s ships operating in the distant operational area in the Mediterranean Sea

KALININGRAD, March 31. /TASS/. The Baltic Fleet’s floating workshop PM-82 is returning to its home base after accomplishing missions as part of the Russian Navy’s permanent Mediterranean taskforce, the Fleet’s press office reported on Tuesday.

"From November 2019 to March 2020, the vessel provided maintenance for the Russian Navy’s ships operating in the distant operational area in the Mediterranean Sea," the press office said in a statement.

The repair ship PM-82 is currently making a transit to its permanent base of Baltiysk in the Kaliningrad Region, the statement says.

The PM-82 is the third vessel in the series of Project 304 floating workshops. They are designated to repair ships and vessels, their weapon systems and equipment in distant areas from their home ports.

Russian Navy’s Mediterranean Squadron

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.

In 2013, Russia started to create a new operational Mediterranean taskforce. Russia’s new permanent Squadron is dealing with planned and urgent combat missions arising in the Mediterranean theater of operations, including warding off threats to Russia’s national and military security.

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