Russia Dispatched Frigate Ladny to Mediterranean Sea

05.12.2011 Black Sea Fleet (BSF) frigate Ladny on Dec 4 left Sevastopol and laid a course for the Mediterranean Sea to meet with the task unit consisting of ships of Northern and Baltic fleets, reported Capt 1 rank Vyacheslav Trukhachev, the head of BSF Information Support Group.

The frigate will meet with aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and ASW ship Admiral Chabanenko in the Mediterranean Sea, reported Izvestiya in Nov 2011. According to the newspaper, the Russian task unit would call at Syrian port Tartus in spring 2012. This information was later refuted by a Navy's spokesman. As for him, the Russian carrier group would not visit Syria during the exercise to be held in the Mediterranean this winter.

"BSF Ladny sailed off Sevastopol heading for the Mediterranean Sea. The ship's departure was conducted one day before the schedule due to bad weather forecast", said Trukhachev.

He added that the ship would pay formal calls at ports of Cyprus, Malta, France, and Spain.

According to the BSF spokesman, in order to provide security when passing the Black Sea straits and staying at foreign ports, there will be an anti-terror team on board Ladny.

Anti-government protests started in southern parts of Syria in spring and spread to other regions then. Being initially peaceful demonstrations, the protests have recently escalated to violent actions. Armed people attack governmental officers every day.

According to the UN, at least 4,000 persons suffered from the conflict. Syrian authorities report about more than 1,500 people died, including over 1,100 law enforcement officers.