MOSCOW, November 2. /TASS/. The Russian Navy’s Baltic Fleet training ship Perekop has arrived at the port of Douala in the Republic of Cameroon, the fleet’s press service reported.

"The Baltic Fleet training ship Perekop arrived at the port of Douala in the Republic of Cameroon as part of a long-distance voyage. The route to the port of Douala passed through the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Guinea, and two rivers, the Cameroon and the Wouri, through the deltas of which the ship reached the port," the press service reported.

It said that Russian Charge d’Affaires ad interim in Cameroon Sergey Ustinov and Jean Marie Tchuissang, Russian Honorary Consul in Douala, attended the welcoming ceremony for the Russian ship. Representing the Republic of Cameroon at the event were the deputy commander of the Douala Naval Base and representatives of the city administration.

According to the press service, while the ship is berthed at the Douala port, Russian and Cameroonian sailors will play a friendly football match. Cameroonian Navy personnel will tour the ship and observe a shipboard damage control demonstration exercise. A tour of local attractions is planned for the crew and cadets of the Perekop. To continue their practical navigation training, cadets from the Republic of Cameroon are scheduled to board the training ship Perekop.

Cadets from the Admiral Ushakov Baltic Naval Institute are completing navigation training aboard the Perekop. Along with the Russian cadets, foreign military personnel from the Republic of Namibia and the Republic of the Congo, who are studying naval disciplines in Russia, are also taking part in the voyage. When the ship crossed the equator, the crew and cadets, in accordance with tradition, were presented with certificates recording the coordinates of the crossing point.

During the passage from the previous port, combat divers from the anti-sabotage unit conducted an anti-sabotage inspection of the ship’s underwater hull, checking the propeller-rudder system for foreign objects or damage.

The Perekop training ship’s long-distance voyage began in early July and will continue until mid-December. In total, the ship is set to travel approximately 30,000 nautical miles. Its route passes through the Northern Sea Route, four oceans, 14 seas, 23 straits, and nine gulfs. According to the itinerary, the ship is scheduled to visit 11 ports in foreign countries.