SEVEROMORSK (Northern Russia), March 10 (RIA Novosti)
- Russia's Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered missile cruiser
returned to its main base in northern Russia on Tuesday after
an almost six-month tour-of-duty of the world's oceans, a Navy
spokesman said.
"All the tasks set for the mission have been accomplished.
The crew is healthy and the weaponry is in an excellent
condition," the spokesman said.
Pyotr Veliky is a Kirov class missile cruiser and the
flagship of Russia's Northern Fleet.
During the mission, which started on September 22 last
year, the warship visited a number of foreign ports, took part
in Russian-Venezuelan naval drills in the Caribbean and the
Russian-Indian INDRA-2009 exercises in the Arabian Sea, and
participated in the international anti-piracy operation off the
Somali coast.
On February 12, the Pyotr Veliky spotted and detained two
speedboats and a large parent ship with 10 Somali pirates on
board near Yemen's Sokotra Island. The pirates were later
handed over to Yemen authorities.
Russia announced in December 2007 that its Navy had
resumed and would build up a constant presence throughout the
world's oceans.
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