19.02.2009
An office for the commander of the Russian Navy, Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky, has been refurbished, outfitted with communication equipment and is now ready at the Admiralty building in St.Petersburg, Ria Novosti reported citing a source in the Russian Navy.
Approximately 800 main headquarters staff are set to follow the commander to St.Petersburg, the
NTV TV channel reported.
The headquarters of the Leningrad Naval Base, which was previously located in the Admiralty, has already been transferred to the Kronshtadt building.
Last December Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdiukov announced that the transfer of the headquarters of the Russian Navy to St.Petersburg will begin in 2009, will be fast and financed from the federal budget. The idea of moving the headquarters to St.Petersburg was first voiced in the fall of 2007 by the Speaker of the State Duma, Boris Gryzlov. Military experts met the news with skepticism, arguing that the 26-50 billion rubles the move will cost was prohibitive and could hurt the Russian Armed Forces. Supporters of the idea argue that St.Petersburg already has a developed naval infrastructure and is better suited history-wise to house the headquarters of the Russian Navy.
Translation:
RusNavy.com
