NEW DELHI, February 17. /TASS/. The Russian Pacific Fleet frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov has arrived to India’s east coast to participate in the International Fleet Review (IFR) and Milan exercise, the Indian Air Force reported.

"Welcome," the Air Force said in a statement on its Facebook page (banned in Russia, owned by Meta, a company designated as extremist in Russia). The post was accompanied by a photograph of the Russian frigate.

"The Russian Navy frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov is arriving in Visakhapatnam to participate in the International Fleet Review and Milan exercise, reflecting the strong naval cooperation and long-standing maritime ties between India and Russia," the Indian Air Force added. The official opening ceremony of the Milan maneuvers is scheduled for February 19 in Visakhapatnam. The international fleet review will take place on February 18. More than 70 countries will participate in the exercises.

"The port and sea phases of the exercise will focus on complex maritime operations, including anti-submarine warfare, air defense, search and rescue operations, and joint security missions, reaffirming our shared commitment to a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based maritime space," the Indian Defense Ministry reported.

The Marshal Shaposhnikov was launched in January 1985 at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad as a Project 1155 large anti-submarine ship. In 2016, it underwent repairs and modernization at the Dalzavod Ship Repair Center in Vladivostok. During the modernization, the Marshal Shaposhnikov was reclassified as a frigate and received modern Kalibr-NK and Uran strike missile systems. Following trials, the frigate returned to the Pacific Fleet base on April 27, 2021.