Russian Navy To Station Warships Worldwide

[USS ALASKA]

USA Today
January 5, 2009
Pg. 6

Russian Navy To Station Warships Worldwide


Russia's military leaders have approved a plan by the navy to station warships permanently in friendly ports across the globe.

Colonel-General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of staff, told RIA Novosti news agency that Moscow is negotiating with foreign governments over the issue but offered no details.

"Nobody can predict where problems could flare up," he said. "What we need are permanent bases, but these are very costly." Russia recently sent warships to fight pirates off East Africa.
==============================
London Times
January 3, 2009

Russian Navy Allowed To Exercise In Greek Waters


Athens--Greece has given permission for Russian warships and aircraft to carry out manoeuvres this month in the southeast Aegean, Greek military sources said.

The Greek Government had agreed to a request from the commander of the Russian aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, which is on a mission in the Mediterranean with other ships of the Russian Northern Fleet, they said. The exercises will take place southeast of Rhodes today, tomorrow, Thursday and Saturday and south of Crete on Sunday, January 11.

The Greek sources said that the manoeuvres demonstrated “the common will of the two countries to cooperate in the military field”.

Greece and Russia have strengthened their ties in recent years, in particular working closely together in the transport of Russian oil and gas to Western Europe.

--AFP

[RF]

Interesting to see who the Russians regard as ''friendly'' countries - or indeed whether the issue is not so much to send your warships to visit your friends than one of doing a little ''spying'' on someone ele's navy under cover of friendship visits.