03.02.2012
Text: Western Military District Press Service
Photo: Large ASW ship Admiral Panteleyev. Western Military District Press Service
Pacific Fleet (PF) task unit headed by Capt 1 rank Andrei Saprykin and consisting of large ASW ship Admiral Panteleyev, tanker Boris Butoma, and salvage tug Fotiy Krylov deployed in the Pacific has finished formal call at Philippines on Feb 3.
Through the 4-day visit to Philippines' capital city Manila, PF naval mariners met with Russian ambassador Nikolai Kudashev, representatives of Russian military attaché office, paid protocol visits to Philippines Navy and Coast Guard commanders.
In Manila, Russian servicemen had sightseeing tours. In their turn, locals had a chance to watch the Russian warship and had onboard excursions.
In the last day, on Feb 3, PF mariners held joint communication drill with their Filipino counterparts in Manila harbor. When the drill was over, PF task unit left territorial waters of Philippines.
That was the first visit of PF warships to Philippines through recent 96 years. In 2010, Black Sea Fleet's flagship Guard missile cruiser
Moskva called at Philippines twice; the cruiser took part in the
Vostok 2010 large-scale exercise held at Russia's Far East.
PF task unit is expected to return to home base Vladivostok on Feb 12.
