Russian Navy missile cruiser to visit South Africa Jan. 9-12

The Pyotr Velikiy (Peter the Great) Kirov Class Project 1144.2 Heavy Missile Cruiser

MOSCOW, December 24 (RIA Novosti) - The Northern Fleet's Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered missile cruiser will become the first Russian warship to dock in Cape Town when it visits South Africa on January 9-12, Russia's Navy said.

The Navy said in a press release that the Pyotr Veliky will sail down Africa's west coast and pass the southern tip of the continent to join up with warships from the Pacific Fleet for the INDRA-2009 joint exercises with the Indian Navy. The Admiral Vinogradov, an Udaloy class destroyer, a tugboat and two fuel tankers have almost reached the Indian Ocean, having left Russia's Far East two weeks ago.

Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo, a spokesman for the Russian Navy, said earlier that Russia currently has three naval task groups on tours of duty in the world's oceans.

Another naval task force from the Northern Fleet, led by the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier and including the Admiral Levchenko destroyer, recently left the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, and is heading to the Strait of Gibraltar.

Russia announced last year that its Navy had resumed and would build up a constant presence in different regions of the world's oceans.

NEWS @RIA Novosti, PHOTO @GLOBALSECURITY

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