09.08.2010
Black Sea Fleet (BSF) workshop vessel PM-138 left Sevastopol harbor and headed for Black Sea straits Bosporus and Dardanelles, reports BSF Information Support Group.
"The scheduled cruise is required by the need in maintenance of the fleet's task force which is to be deployed in the Mediterranean", said the press release.
During the long-term cruise
PM-138 workshop vessel will be based in Syrian port Tartus.
Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky, Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief previously told
RIA Novosti that the Navy had a plan to found in Tartus a full-fledged naval base capable to accommodate all types of ships except aircraft carriers. In July 2009 two BSF tugs delivered a new mooring float to Tartus.
Now Tartus is the only Russia's foreign naval base. An agreement of Soviet Navy assets deployment was tied with Syrian government in 1971. Tartus naval base was established to support actions of Black Sea Fleet in the Mediterranean; primarily, for repair and supply of 5th Operational (Mediterranean) Squadron. In 1991 the squadron was liquidated; since that time Russian Navy carries out non-regular cruises to the Mediterranean Sea.
