KALININGRAD, December 23. /TASS/. Russia’s coastal type minesweeper Novocheboksarsk of the Baltic Fleet's Leningrad Naval Base's waterway defense command, has conducted a patrol sweep in a section of the ship's fairway in the Baltic Sea, the fleet's press service reported. The mission was accomplished as part of mine threat reduction measures in the fleet's operational area.
"During the operation the coastal type minesweeper Novocheboksarsk conducted reconnaissance minesweeping. The ship's crew also practiced laying out contact and non-contact sweeps," the statement says. During one of the stages of the naval exercises at sea, the minesweeper’s combat crews practiced anti-sabotage defense missions in unsafe roadstead, including preventive grenade launches.
"Ships and vessels of the Leningrad Naval Base of the Baltic Fleet are carrying out mine threat mitigation actions, which are mainly carried out along recommended routes, fairways, anchorages, ports, and naval combat training areas," the press service said.
The minesweeper Novocheboksarsk is designed for mine countermeasures support of the Baltic Fleet's bases and for defense of waterway area. The vessel’s displacement is 427 tons, length is 49 meters, width is approximately 9 meters, and speed is 14 knots. The minesweeper has a cruising range of 1,500 miles. It is equipped with the Strela MANPADS, artillery mounts, and mines.