Russian Navy ship holds mine countermeasures exercise in Mediterranean Sea

SEVASTOPOL, August 6. /TASS/. The Black Sea Fleet’s minesweeper Vice-Admiral Zakharyin operating within the Russian Navy’s Mediterranean permanent taskforce practiced mine countermeasures in drills, the Fleet’s press office reported on Thursday. "During the exercise, the crew searched for mines in the designated maritime area, using various types of contact and non-contact sweeps. The sailors held drills for ship damage control, air and anti-saboteur defense of the ship during its sea transit and anchorage in an unsafe roadstead," the press office said in a statement. The seagoing minesweeper Vice-Admiral Zakharyin has been operating within the Russian Navy’s Mediterranean Squadron since June. Russian Navy’s Mediterranean Squadron The Soviet Navy’s 5th Mediterranean Squadron served as a prototype for the Russian Navy’s permanent Mediterranean taskforce operating at present. The 5th operational Soviet Squadron dealt with the tasks of naval presence in the Mediterranean theater of operations during the Cold War period. Its main rival was the US Navy’s 6th Fleet. The Soviet Squadron was disbanded on December 31, 1992, a year after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. In 2013, Russia started to create a new operational Mediterranean taskforce. Russia’s new permanent Squadron is dealing with planned and urgent combat missions arising in the Mediterranean theater of operations, including warding off threats to Russia’s national and military security. Read more