Three Russian naval ships led by guided missile cruiser Varyag arrive

The Sri Lanka Navy, in accordance with naval traditions, welcomed three Russian naval ships at the Port of Colombo yesterday.

A group of the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet ships, including the guided missile cruiser Varyag, large antisubmarine ship Admiral Panteleyev and the large sea tanker Boris Butoma, entered the Port of Colombo in Sri Lanka on a goodwill visit, the Sri Lanka Navy’s media unit said.

Guided missile cruiser Varyag is a 187-metre-long platform with a crew of 529, while Admiral Panteleyev is 162.8 metres long and manned by 388 naval personnel. The 161.1-metre-long tanker Boris Butoma has a complement of 75 officers and sailors.

Subsequently, the Commander of the Squadron, Rear Admiral Eduard Mihailov, along with the commanding officers of the three ships - Captain Yurievich Ulyanenko, Captain Vitalievich Antsiferov and Captain Alexandrovich Bondar - called on the Commander of the Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne, at the Western Naval Command Headquarters and held cordial discussions.

During the four-day official visit, the ships’ crew members are scheduled to take part in several programs organised by the Sri Lanka Navy and visit some popular tourist attractions. The trio of ships is due to set sail from the Colombo Harbour on 24 December.