Two Russian Naval Ships, “Moskva” and “Cola”, arrived at the port of Colombo on 19th December 2014 for replenishment and crews. The ships belonging to the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy were ceremonially welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in accordance with naval traditions on their arrival.
Moskva is a missile Cruiser, which is 187 meters in length. It has a displacement of 9,270 tons and consists of a complement of 514 naval personnel. The ship is commanded by Captain 1st Rank Sergey I. Tronev.
Cola is a replenishment vessel, which is 106.7 meters in length. It has a displacement of 7,200 tons and a crew of 47 seamen. The ship is commanded by Mr. Victor Ch. Ignatov.
The Mission Commander and the Moskava’s Commanding officer accompanied by the Millitary Attache of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Sri Lanka paid a courtesy call on the Commander Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Dayananda Nanayakkara at the Command Headquarters in Colombo. They held cordial discussions and exchanged mementos as a gesture of goodwill. The Commander Western Naval Area also returned a courtesy call on the Russian ships as a gesture of goodwill.
The visiting Russian ships will stay in Sri Lanka until 23rd December 2014 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 to enhance the friendly relations between the two navies.
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Press release, Image: Sri Lanka Navy