MURMANSK, January 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Admiral
Levchenko destroyer will patrol the Somali coast after taking
part in joint Russia-Indian naval drills in the Arabian Sea in
early February, a Navy source said on Wednesday.
The destroyer is part of a Northern Fleet task force,
currently on a tour-of-duty in the Mediterranean, led by the
Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier.
However, officials from the Northern Fleet have so far
refused to confirm or deny the purpose of the ship's ultimate
mission.
"We will not announce the goals and tasks set for Admiral
Levchenko in the near future," said Capt. 1st Rank Igor
Babenko, a fleet's spokesman.
"We can only confirm that Admiral Levchenko destroyer has
passed through the Suez Canal and entered the Indian Ocean," he
added.
The destroyer will join up with the Pyotr Veliky missile
cruiser and a task force from Russia's Pacific Fleet,
comprising the Admiral Vinogradov, an Udaloy class destroyer, a
tugboat and two fuel tankers, which will also take part in the
INDRA-2009 naval exercise with the Indian navy.
INDRA is a biennial Russian-Indian exercise aimed at
practicing cooperation in enforcing maritime law and countering
piracy, terrorism and drug smuggling. INDRA-2009 is the fourth
such exercise since 2003 and will involve a number of live-fire
drills.
News
