Russia’s Baltic Fleet ship Perekop docks at Republic of Congo’s Pointe-Noire port

MOSCOW, October 27. /TASS/. The Russian Navy’s Baltic Fleet training ship Perekop has reached the port of Pointe-Noire in the Republic of the Congo, the fleet’s press service reported.

"The Baltic Fleet training ship Perekop arrived at the port of Pointe-Noire in the Republic of the Congo as part of its long-distance deployment. A welcoming ceremony for the training ship was organized at the port, attended by Russia’s Charge d'Affaires ad interim in the Republic of the Congo Sofia Sitnikova, and representatives of the country’s naval command," the press service reported.

It added that a ship tour was organized for the guests, during which the crew explained the specifics of military service and the cadet training process. A series of events is planned during the Perekop’s stay in Pointe-Noire. The Russian and Congolese sailors will take part in a friendly football match. Members of the Congolese Navy will visit the Perekop, and the crew and cadets are scheduled to explore local attractions.

The fleet noted that cadets from the Admiral Ushakov Baltic Naval Institute are undertaking navigation training aboard the Perekop. Along with the Russian cadets, foreign military personnel from the Republic of Namibia who are studying naval affairs in Russia are also taking part in the voyage (cadets from the Center for Foreign Military Personnel Training at the Admiral N.G. Kuznetsov Naval Academy). During the voyage, the cadets continued with their navigation training program. The future officers served as watch officers and their substitutes, learned to plot a course using data from navigational instruments, and developed the skills needed to navigate straits and narrow passages.

The Perekop training ship’s long-distance voyage began in early July and will last until mid-December. In total, the ship is set to cover approximately 30,000 nautical miles. Its route passes through the Northern Sea Route, four oceans, 14 seas, 23 straits, and nine gulfs. According to the deployment schedule, the ship is scheduled to call at 11 ports in foreign countries.