Russian ships pass through Suez canal for first time in 15 years: Putin

MOSCOW (AFP) May 03, 2003
Russian warships have passed through the Suez Canal for the first time in 15 years, to take part in exercises with the Indian navy in the Indian Ocean, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in the Ukrainian resort of Yalta.

Putin met in Yalta with the commander of the chief of the Russia's Black Sea fleet, Vladimir Massorin, the Interfax news agency reported.

Russian ships from the Black Sea fleet, based in Sebastapol in the southern Ukraine, have reached the Indian Ocean to join those of the Pacific fleet based in Vladivostock for planned maneuvers with the Indian navy.

The Russian navy has suffered from poor funding since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, and its long-range operations, such as those carried out during the Cold War, have been curtailed.

The maneuvers, which were announced in April, will be India's first joint naval exercises with Russia.

Despite years of robust defence ties -- more than 70 percent of the Indian army, air force and navy equipment is of Russian origin -- the two Cold War allies have not previously held naval exercises.

SPACE.WIRE