MOSCOW, July 17. /TASS/. Two Russian Pacific Fleet ships passed through the Suez Canal and entered the Red Sea, the fleet said.
"A detachment of Pacific Fleet ships comprising the Guards Order of Nakhimov missile cruiser Varyag and frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov completed the passage of the Suez Canal and entered the Red Sea from the Mediterranean Sea. At this time, the crews of the ships continue to fulfill their assigned missions as part of the long-range voyage," the fleet said.
It said that a few days earlier Pacific Fleet sailors had completed training and combat missions as part of the permanent formation of Russian naval ships in the Mediterranean Sea.
The long-distance voyage of the Pacific Fleet ships began on January 22 this year. During this time, Pacific Fleet sailors conducted dozens of exercises in combat training and organization of daily activities of ships at sea. The ships' crews also made port calls in such countries as the Republic of India, the Republic of Sri Lanka, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the State of Qatar and the State of Eritrea.