Mistral crews return to Kronshtadt
KRONSHTADT. Dec 30 (Interfax) - The training vessel the Smolny has returned from Saint Nazaire, France, to Kronshtadt, a source in the Russian Navy told Interfax on Tuesday.
The Main Headquarters of the Russian Navy earlier said the Smolny had left Saint Nazaire on December 18. It was carrying 400 sailors who had been trained to use the Mistral-class helicopter carriers the Vladivostok and the Sevastopol at a French shipyard.
The Smolny left Kronshtadt on June 22 and arrived in Saint Nazaire on June 30. The ship was expected to arrive in Kronshtadt on December 26, but it arrived late due to bad weather conditions.
Rosoboronexport and the French company DCNS signed a contract for the construction of two helicopter carriers in June 2011. The after bodies of the helicopter carriers were built at the Baltic shipyard (a structure of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) in St. Petersburg. The after bodies were docked with the head parts and the construction was completed at a shipyard of the company STX France in Saint Nazaire.
France was expected to provide the first helicopter carrier, the Vladivostok, to Russia back on November 14. However, it has not been provided to Russia yet and it is not clear when it will happen.
French President Francois Hollande said he has made a decision to suspend the provision of the Vladivostok to Russia due to the situation in Ukraine. Russia, for its part, said it expects to receive either the ships or its money back.