Russia’s Black Sea Fleet to join the country’s Mediterranean task force

A new group of ships from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet will join the country’s Mediterranean task force within days.

The task force currently includes vessels from the Pacific, Northern, Baltic and Black Sea fleets: the destroyer Admiral Panteleyev, the large amphibious landing ships Admiral Nevelsky and Alexander Shabalin, the frigate Neustrashimy, and a number of support and auxiliary vessels.

The new group includes the large amphibious landing ships Novocherkassk and Minsk and the electronic intelligence ship Priazovye. It will relieve the current task force as soon as it passes through the Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits, which is expected Thursday or Friday.

The Slava class guidedmissile cruiser Moskva will arrive in the Mediterranean on September 17.

Two guided missile corvettes, Shtil and Ivanovets (Nanuchka 3 and Tarantul class respectively) will arrive in the area on September 29.

There are also plans to send another two Black Sea Fleet warships – the Kashin class frigate Smetlivy and the Alligator class large amphibious landing ship Nikolai Filchenkov.