MURMANSK, October 22. /TASS/. The Northern Fleet’s large anti-submarine warfare ship Vice-Admiral Kulakov and support vessels wrapped up their business call at a Greek port and set course for the Aegean Sea, the Fleet’s press office reported on Thursday.
"Today the group of the Northern Fleet’s ships and vessels under the command of Captain 1st Rank Stanislav Varik completed its business call at the Greek port of Piraeus. At noon, the large anti-submarine warfare ship Vice-Admiral Kulakov, the medium sea tanker Akademik Pashin and the rescue tug Altai left the port’s wharfs and sailed to the Aegean Sea," the press office said in a statement.
The Russian naval ships stayed at the Greek port from October 19. During their stay, the naval sailors replenished fresh water, fuel and food supplies while the naval group’s commander together with the commander of the Vice-Admiral Kulakov and the captains of the support vessels paid ceremonial visits to the city mayor’s office, the naval command, the police chief and the port’s administration, the statement says.
No sightseeing events and excursions were held for the ships’ personnel due to the tense epidemiological situation. During their stay, the naval sailors complied with the sanitary regime established in the port, the press office noted.
Greece was the fourth country the large anti-submarine warfare ship Vice-Admiral Kulakov had visited in its long-distance Mediterranean deployment. The Northern Fleet’s sailors earlier made calls at Algeria, Cyprus and Syria, the statement says.
The deployment of the Northern Fleet’s ships in the Mediterranean Sea will last about one more month. The naval group is due to return to the Northern Fleet’s main naval base of Severomorsk until the end of 2020. The large anti-submarine warfare ship Vice-Admiral Kulakov has been deployed in the Mediterranean Sea since August. Over this time, the ship’s crew has covered a distance of over 20,000 nautical miles and practiced the assignments of air defense and anti-submarine warfare measures in several drills.
The Vice-Admiral Kulakov is operational in the Anti-Submarine Warfare Brigade of the Northern Fleet’s Kola Flotilla of All-Arms Forces based in Severomorsk. The warship constantly participates in long-distance deployments to the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the Mediterranean Sea and the Arctic. The Vice-Admiral Kulakov is part of the Fleet’s Arctic grouping.
The Project 1155 large anti-submarine warfare ship Vice-Admiral Kulakov is armed with anti-submarine missile systems, rocket launchers, torpedo tubes and other types of artillery and missile armament. The warship also carries two Ka-27 anti-submarine warfare helicopters.