Two Russian Naval Ships, “Varyag” and “Boris Butoma”, arrived at the port of Trincomalee on 04 th October 2013 on a goodwill visit. The ships were ceremonially welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in accordance with naval traditions on their arrival.
Varyag is a guard missile cruiser, which is 187 meters in length. It has a displacement of 9,360 tons and consists of a complement of 529 naval personnel that include 65 officers and 464 sailors. The ship is commanded by Captain 1st Rank Alexander V. Potapov. Boris Butoma is a replenishment vessel, which is 162 meters in length. It has a displacement of 24,450 tons and a crew of 75 seamen. The ship is commanded by Mr. Sergey A. Bondar.
The ships belong to the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy and are sailing under the command of Captain 1st Rank Igor V. Symolyak. They will stay in Sri Lanka till 08 th October and the crew members are scheduled to take part in a special programme arranged by the Sri Lanka Navy during their stay in Sri Lanka enhancing the friendly relations between the two navies.
[mappress] Press Release, October 08, 2013; Image: Sri Lanka Navy