Since the start of the mission in May, the destroyer has escorted 14 civilian vessels from different countries, using both Northern Fleet naval infantry and Ka-27 helicopters to solve its task, Murmansky Vestnik writes.
After finishing its anti-piracy mission, the destroyer led a flotilla of Northern Fleet vessels in naval drills close to the Syrian coast.
“Vice Admiral Kulakov” is currently sailing through the Mediterranean and will reach Lisbon, Portugal, by the end of the week. On its way north the warship will be visiting Portsmouth, Great Britain and Cork, Ireland.
The anti-piracy mission was the destroyer’s first mission after 20 years of repairs and modernization, as BarentsObserver reported. “Vice Admiral Kulakov” was commissioned in 1982 and was on combat duty in the Northern Fleet until March 1991. It returned to duty in December last year.
The Russian Navy has maintained a presence off the Somali coast since October 2008, with warships operating on a rotation basis.
